Making a Difference
by WhiteBear27
Summary: ARC Troopers can turn the tide of any battle. But one of them, under the command of Anakin Skywalker, does more than that. Follow his story through the Clone Wars and beyond.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS**

**So I've been on a kind of Star Wars euphoria lately. So here's an idea I came up with, hope you all enjoy! More chapters to come.**

**Chapter 1**

All CT-2733 had ever known were the white walls of Kamino. His birthplace from artificial conditions rather than natural ones. He had thousands of brothers, all identical to himself, other than their hairstyles, the only distinguishing features they were allowed.

2733, like all other clones, had a rapid growth process, as clone armies were often needed rapidly, and were not allowed time to develop like normal humans. As such, they were encouraged to think independently and creatively, to be problem solvers to enhance their mental strength.

All their lives, 2733 and his thousands of brothers had been forced into the routine of wake up, eat, train, eat, train, eat, train, sleep. Repeating every day, preparing for a combat that many of them, whether they would admit it or not, were doubtful would ever come. So you can imagine their surprise and excitement when they finally got the call. The whispers had been that a Jedi had visited several days earlier, but no one thought much of it. Yet just a number of hours later, they were called out of their barracks.

* * *

2733's eyes shot open when the red alarms began to sound. He leapt off of his bunk, landing in a low crouch. He quickly donned his armor, not questioning the red lights and high-pitched sounds surrounding him. He was vaguely aware of the other troopers around him, but focused on his armor, pulling the blue-detailed breastplate over his black bodysuit. Their armour was heavy-duty white plastoid with blue highlights on the shoulders and down the helmet, showing the trooper's assigned company or legion.

"Is this real?" one trooper asked. 2733 smirked because he knew what was coming.

"And what if it is? You'd better treat this as real, trooper. This company may very well finally see combat, and I want to be known as one of the best. So I won't have any of you stepping out of line under my watch, understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" all the troopers chorused.

CT-7567 was their current commander. A great leader, and an even more fearsome combatant, 7567 had earned jaig eyes during his training on Kamino. In addition, he'd even been promoted to the rank of captain, and assigned to lead an entire legion: the 501st. Leading a legion was a great honor, and 7567 had eagerly accepted.

"Nice speech, Captain. You're pretty good at motivating the men," 2733 laughed.

7567 grinned. "I have to be, Sergeant. Besides, I know for damn sure this isn't a drill. We're finally being deployed."

"Yeah, but where is the question," 2733 said as he picked up his DC-15S blaster rifle in one hand, and his blue-crested T-visor helmet in the other. "Ready for duty, Captain."

7567 nodded. 7567 had close-shaved blonde hair, and the same rugged jawline of all Jango Fett clones. His armor was no different than that of his men, other than the gray and blue pauldron across hs shoulders and chest. As he pulled his helmet on, the prominent jaig eyes above his visor were on full display. "Alright men, on me."

The Captain turned on his heel as the barracks assembled behind him. The first row was comprised of his four sergeants, 2733 included. The rest of the troopers formed up, pulling their helmets on over their heads and following their commanding officer out the double sliding doors.

They turned and fell in line right behind another company. The entire facility seemed to be headed for the hangars. Torrent Company, 7567's personal company, was one of the most prestigious in the entire army, mostly due to their commander. They had a high mission success rate when facing simulations.

When they'd finally reached the ramp of the massive Acclamator-class transport the 501st was assigned, 2733's blood was boiling. He was both excited and terrified. Because on the one hand, he was finally fulfilling his purpose, but on the other, his purpose could lead to his death. He silently hoped he'd live to see the end of this war. He wished for all of his brothers to survive as well, though he knew that was an impossibility.

2733 was assigned as 7567's second-in-command, though he shared the rank of sergeant with several other clones in the 501st. He suspected it was because of his close friendship with the man. The two of them had been in the same classes all through their growth process, and had become extremely familiar with one another.

They all seated themselves in gunships, ready to take off as soon as they emerged from hyperspace. No matter what terrain, clones prided themselves on always being prepared for every situation. Snow, desert, jungle, rain, they had run simulations for their entire lives on each of them.

"Alright, listen up, boys. I've just been informed that we're moving to assist the Jedi on Geonosis. Apparently, Grandmaster Yoda showed and ordered the army into action. We fight for the Republic now boys, let's show those Separatists and their pieces of tin what real fighting men can do!"

"Yeah!" the men cheered as 7567 sat back down. The LAAT/i gunships were built for troop transport and danger close aerial support. There were twin rocket launchers mounted on the top, two guns on the front, and one on the back. There was also the option to attach specialized beam cannons on either side of the cockpit, each containing an additional trooper. For this assault, it seemed that they had elected to attach them. Two pilots operated the gunship, and the doors on either side could be sealed as blast doors or as protection from the vacuum of space.

2733 elected to sit with his feet hanging off the edge of the cold metal ship. He rested his rifle across his thigh plates and slowly inhaled to steady his breathing. There was no sense in getting worked up if he wouldn't be able to land a shot because his hands were so shaky. Looking around the rest of the gunship, he saw many of the other troopers had the same problem.

Suddenly, the hum of power sounded around them as the Acclamator's engines began to power up. The artificial gravity generators activated as well. As soon as they left the atmosphere, everything would become weightless without them, so every ship in the galaxy had a gravity generator.

2733 shook his head and shoulders to stay loose as he took one last deep breath. He felt a comforting hand on his right shoulder as 7567 placed it there. "Here we go. See you on the other side, brother."

Though those words may have seemed grim to any other trooper, 2733 took it that 7567 was confident the two of them would survive this battle. 2733 couldn't help but agree with his captain. He felt oddly confident, despite the fact that he was shaking virtually uncontrollably.

The low rumble of the Acclamator exiting the atmosphere signalled to all the troops that they were no longer in simulations.

* * *

2733's first impression of Geonosis was that it was a brown wasteland of a planet. The only known intelligent life (if you could even call them that) was a race of humanoid bugs. The Geonosians did know how to make weapons, though, as evidenced by the innumerable explosions surrounding the gunship as it made its way towards the battlefield. A forward command center was being established just beyond a group of Separatist battleships.

The clones had the advantage in this fight, however, as they'd taken the Separatists and Geonosians completely by surprise. They had their AT-TE's and AT-AP's on the ground before the battle droids even had a clue what was happening. The 501st had yet to set foot on the ground, as they were meant to be a flanking unit in this particular battle. Th main lines had to be drawn before they could land and flank the Separatists, otherwise, they'd be overrun quickly.

They were not assigned any armor support, other than a small squadron of eight AT-RT's. The small scout walkers would provide great mobility for this type of mission. 2733 looked to 7567 and nodded. 7567 returned the gesture before placing his left hand on his helmet, near his ear. He leaned forward to yell at the pilot.

"We're clear for landing! Head for sector 251!"

"Yes, sir!" the pilot responded. Immediately, the gunship changed course, headed around the Saparatist battleships, towards a mountainous ridge where they could group up and plan their flanking maneuver. 2733 peeked out the doors to look at the small fleet of gunships that were trailing them. Every now and then, a Geonosian Anti-Aircraft gun would get lucky, and score a hit on one of the 501st's gunships, but the number of them was so great that in the long run, the small amount of troopers lost didn't change the outcome.

The gunship began its descent, and 2733 steeled himself. Next to him, 7567 readied his DC-15A blaster carbine, meant for more close-quarter combat. As soon as 2733 felt his boots touch the hard ground, he dropped out into a roll, coming up with his rifle at the ready as 7567 took up a position behind him. They were on a large plateau that they'd seen on the holomap, and it had yet to be set foot on by the Separatists, but that didn't mean that they could take it lightly.

As the rest of the gunships deposited their troopers and At-RT's, they took off, headed back for the Acclamator, where they would remain until an extraction was needed. 2733 looked to 7567 for orders. The captain held up a fist.

"Alright, we hold this position until we have a plan of attack. Officers, with me, the rest of you, set up a layered perimeter. Even spacing between walkers. Scouts, scan the terrain and find us a way off of this plateau. Report back with anything you find. Alright, move out!"

2733 turned ans waited for the other sergeants to present themselves. 7567 knelt down and pressed a button on his comms. A map of the battle projected itself in front of them.

"Alright. This is what the lines look like at the moment. Now we're here," 7567 said as he pointed to the plateau. "We need to hit the droids on their east flank while avoiding the battleships. The SPHA-T cannons are tasked with bringing those down, and if we get anywhere close, we'll et crushed by debris."

2733 spoke up. "Looks like we should set up a sniper team in these hills to pick off droid officers while we engage the main force with guerilla hit and run attacks. Without armor, we won't be able to sustain combat fo very long against those numbers. This way, the droids will quickly get confused without orders, making it all the more easy for us."

7567 nodded. "Agreed. Each of us will lead a fifth of our forces. Act independently until I give a new set of orders. Try and coordinate between eachother to mount surprise attacks. Alright? Move out!"

2733 shouldered his rifle and turned to the assembled men. "Second company, with me!"

A fifth of the men and one AT-RT gathered around. "Scouts, report!"

Two troopers saluted. "Sir, there is a small tunnel system that leads through the plateau and down to the ground. We scanned the entire place, no sign of bugs, sir."

2733 nodded. "Good. Lead the way. Spread out, boys. If we et taken by surprise, run for cover and wait for my orders."

2733 followed the two scouts towards the dark cave system. Those in the company who had headlights turned them on to allow them to see in such dark conditions. An uneasy feeling crept over 2733, as if something was waiting to jump out at him, but thankfully, nothing ever did. When they emerged from the tunnel, 2733 made a series of hand signals, telling the men to form a wedge. He wanted them to act like a spearhead. Quickly punch through enemy lines before withdrawing. He knew they'd have sniper support from 5th company on the ridge, lead by one of the other sergeants, so he was confident that they'd be able to retreat efficiently.

The men walked at a quick pace for several minutes before 2733 decided to push it to a light jog. He knew they could all handle it, as they were in peak physical condition, and he wanted to help his brothers on the front line as fast as possible. So when they emerged from a small ravine and saw the vast hordes of the Separatists, 2733 let out a battle cry for the ages and lead the charge towards the Separatist lines. His DC-15S on full auto sacrificed accuracy for fire speed, but it's not like any of them needed accuracy as long as they aimed it in the proper direction. It was nearly impossible to miss when aiming at the army before them.

2733 stopped behind a rock line, using it as cover as they continued their barrage of the Separatist line. As soon as the droids noticed them, 2733 ordered a retreat, taking minimal casualties due to the sniper team on the ridge causing dissent and confusion among the droids by taking out their officers. Granted, the droids could be programmed orders, though through an officer was quicker and more efficient.

This went on several more times, leaving a large chunk of the Separatist flank lying destroyed on the dusty ground. As they hid and waited for their next opportunity, 2733 heard voices behind him. He whipped his head around, a finger held to his visor.

"Quiet, we need to make sure that we have a clean opening."

The troopers stiffened and saluted. "Yes, sir, Sergeant Bolt."

2733 nodded and turned back around, but froze halfway. "What'd you say?"

One of the troopers shrugged. "Well, sir, we figured that because of these tactics, shoot the enemy, then bolt in the opposite direction, you should be named Bolt, sir."

2733 remained still for a few moments before nodding to the men. "Bolt, huh? I like it. Now shut up!"

2733, now dubbed 'Bolt,' turned back to the droid army. Off in the distance, he could see the exchanges of blue and red blaster fire, with several sticks of blue and green strewn about here and there. When Bolt realized they were Jedi, his spirits lifted. Even the mighty Jedi Order was here alongside them. They had no chance of failure.

Bolt jumped up on top of the rocks and turned to his men. "Come on! Let's show those Jedi we're worthy soldiers, too! Charge!"

* * *

Bolt had never been so tired in his short life. The battle had gone rather well so far, although visibility had gone to shit as soon as a few of those battleships were shot out of the sky. It became extremely hard for the guerilla warfare to be effective in that circumstance, so Bolt had decided to lead 2nd company back to link up with 7567's 1st company.

"_2733, do you read? Come in, Sergeant."_

Bolt raised his comlink. "Yes, Captain, I read you."

"_I'm sending you my coordinates, rendezvous on me. Double time!"_

"Yes, sir!"

Bolt signaled the advance, double timing it into a light run, so they could meet 7567 at the proper coordinates. The visibility was still next to zero, as the dust clouds from the falling battleships had yet to dissipate. 5th company had descended from their ridge and joined up with Bolt and 2nd company some time ago.

When they reached 1st company's coordinates, 7567 grasped forearms with Bolt. "It's damn good to see you, 2733. How'd things go on your end?"

"It's actually Bolt now, sir, I'll explain later. And fairly well, I'd say. The sniper teams up top gave us great cover, allowing us to retreat and attack virtually at will."

7567 nodded. "Well you fared better than the rest of us. 3rd company was all but wiped out. 4th company is down to half, and 1st company isn't doing so great, either. I got surrounded by bugs on one side and the droid army on the other. They cut us down in the crossfire. I had to bust a hole through the bugs to retreat. The men named me Rex for it."

Bolt dropped his head, but then shrugged. "Shit happens in war. Now come on, let's figure out our next course of action."

Rex nodded. "Right, well command says there's a Separatist factory around this area that doubles as a command center. Looks like they want us to kill two bugs with one stone. I've sent scout teams on ahead to gauge the situation, and I'll need the rest of 4th company's demolitions crew to set charges while the rest of us hold off the droids. Expect heavy resistance."

Bolt nodded. "Aye, Captain. Well, you heard him, men! Let's move out!"

* * *

**Yes, I'm aware that I'm not entirely canon right now, but it's a fanfiction. It's meant to diverge from canon. So put your pitchforks down and leave a review instead!**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS**

**This story has been great fun to write so far, and I hope you all are enjoying. Fav/follow so you don't miss the updates!**

**Chapter 2**

"Status report."

Rex took off his helmet as the scouts he'd dispatched returned from their mission. "Sir, the droids seem to have no knowledge of our presence."

Rex nodded. "At least we have the element of surprise. What defenses do they have?"

"A few gun emplacements, and two AAT's. Other than that, it's just battle droids, sir."

"Good work, get some rest, trooper," Rex said, patting the clone's shoulder. "Bolt! You're going to lead the demolitions team. Take them, as well as any ten men you choose. Wait for us to distract them before you make your move."

Bolt saluted. "Sir!" He turned back to the assembled men, the demolitions team already behind him. Bolt quickly picked out his ten men, including the two that had dubbed him Bolt. "The two of you have names?"

They both saluted. "Aye, sir. I'm Auto, this is Patchwork," the left one said.

Bolt gave a small salute back. "You two stick close to me the whole time, got it? You're my second-in-commands for this mission."

They both nodded. Bolt turned back to Rex. "Headed out, Captain, give 'em hell."

Rex waved. "Set the charges and get out of there, you hear?"

Bolt turned back to the men. "Alright, Auto, take point, Patchwork, you've got rearguard. Demo, you guys are in the middle. Don't want any of you getting shot. I'm not great with explosives."

The clones formed a small column, with the demolitions crew in the center, Auto and Bolt up front. They trudged along the rocky Geonosian dirt, it staining their boots and armor. The dust from the fallen battleships had yet to dissipate, continuing to limit visibility. As such, it wasn't until they were almost on top of the factory that they noticed it.

The building itself was imposing, at least it would have been to a bug. Three enormous rock spires stuck out of the ground, and metal could be seen peeking through the gaps in the sediment. There was a small bridge, barely big enough for an AAT to cross, that led towards the mountain ranges that Rex would be attacking from. As if on queue, the sounds of blaster fire were heard from the bridge, stray blue and red bolts streaming into the sky.

Bolt looked at Auto and shrugged. "I guess that's the signal. Alright men, follow me."

Bolt slowly made his way down the slope in front of them. It wasn't too steep to traverse, but it was still perilous. One slip, and a trooper could break something or severely injure themselves, thereby causing harm to his brothers. The rocks came loose beneath the grooved soles of their boots, but none of them slipped. When they reached the bottom, they fanned out and sprinted for the walls of the factory, just in case they were spotted and fired upon. Bolt reached first and immediately slammed his back to it, his rifle at the ready.

"Alright, our intel said there was a side door on the opposite side from the bridge. Which means we need to hug this wall and make our way to it without being spotted. Patchwork, stay here with four men and cover our escape route. If things don't go as planned, we'll need to retreat back onto the ridge."

Bolt took point, his rifle held out in front of him as he peeked around each corner. You could hear a pebble drop, everyone was so silent. It was clear that each of them was anticipating an ambush, and as a result, tended to hold their breaths. When Bolt peered around the last corner, he spied only a small squad of battle droids. He turned back to his men.

"Someone toss me a thermal detonator."

He caught said explosive device with one hand, immediately activating it and rolling it towards the feet of the droids. One of them tilted its head and bent down to pick it up. "Hey, what's this?"

The droid didn't get a reply, as the small explosive detonated, destroying the entire squad. "Move!" Bolt ordered, quickly rounding the corner and stacking up on the door. "Auto, get this door open."

Bolt checked his rifle one last time before the doors slid open, revealing a large, expansive factory, with thousands of moving parts on conveyor belts. The mechanical arms were making thousands upon thousands of battle droids. Bolt turned to his men, who were also gawking at the sight. "Alright, find the support pillars. We don't have enough explosives to bring the whole factory down, so we'll collapse it in on itself. Rendezvous back here in ten minutes. Teams of two, go!"

Bolt paired with one of the demolitions crew, named Livebait, and they ran down a nearby ramp, in search of the support pillars. Bolt stayed on high alert while the demolitions trooper knelt down, pulling explosives out of his pack. He handed a few to Bolt, and they hurried between the pillars, setting two on each one, to make sure that they were destroyed.

Every now and then, a low rumble would be heard from the opposite side of the factory, most likely Rex engaged with the Separatist forces out front. Bolt placed the last of his charged and linked back up with Livebait. He raised his comm to his helmet.

"Charges are set, Rex. We're on our way out now. Begin your retreat."

"_Copy that, make sure you're all clear before you blow them."_

"Will do," Bolt said, resuming his run. When they arrived back at the door, eight men were already there, and the rest soon arrived. Just as Bolt was about to duck out of the door, a blaster shot went straight through the visor of Livebait, dropping him instantly. The burning hole that blood seeped out of quickly reminded Bolt that they were fighting a war.

"Contact!" one of the men yelled as he fired up at one of the catwalks above them. An entire battalion of droids was making its way towards them, B2 super battle droids in front of the basic B1's.

"Get out, now!" Bolt ordered. His men all bailed out the gate, Bolt leaving last, still returning fire towards the droids. He dropped the lead super battle droids before diving out the door and blasting the control panel, causing the door to short-circuit and lock itself.

Bolt followed his men back around the factory, where they met up with Patchwork and his men. As the squad ran back for the cover of the ridge, they were met with blaster fire again, this time from several windows atop the tower. It seems that there were more gun emplacements than originally thought.

"Who has the detonator?" Bolt shouted.

One demolitions trooper waved at him. "I do, sir!"

"Blow it!" Bolt yelled. "Blow it now!"

"But sir-" the trooper began to protest.

Bolt growled. "Would you rather get shot? We have a better chance of surviving the blast than we do those guns, now blow it!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the trooper pressed the red button on the handheld detonator, and immediately the ground began to shake. Bol didn't stop to look back, tough, keeping his legs churning in the uncomfortable plastoid armor. He felt the ground shake, and many of the troopers stumbled and fell, Bolt included. He rolled, regained his balance, and kept running.

Climbing the steep slope up to the ridge was certainly done with more haste than going down. Tons of rocks came loose, but the troopers grunted and tightened their grips to keep from falling. Only when they'd all reached the top of the ridge did they turn back and admire their handiwork.

The entire factory was collapsed in on itself. The imposing spires were nowhere to be seen, all that was left untouched was half of the bridge where Rex had caused the diversion. Bolt knelt down and took a breath, as he was exhausted. He removed his helmet and wiped his face, the perspiration having fogged his visor. Several of the other troopers did similar actions, all trying to rest and let soak in what they'd survived.

Bolt stood after a couple minutes, replacing his helmet. "Everyone up, let's rendezvous with Captain Rex and the rest of the battalion."

* * *

"HAHA! Did you see that? Me and my boys cheered so loud it's a wonder there aren't a thousand more battle droids on top of us!" Rex exclaimed, punching Bolt on his chestplate in a show of affection.

Bolt shook his head and gave a small chuckle. "No, actually, my squad and I were too busy running to look back. We had to blow it early and we very nearly didn't make it to a safe distance."

Rex nodded. "Well it was damn beautiful. Good work, Sergeant."

"Yes, sir!" Bolt gave a half-hearted salute as Rex motioned for the troops to gather round. Though the were all clones, there was something special about Rex. He was born to lead, and Bolt could see it. He had the respect of all of the men, as well as most of the men in other legions. Not many commanders could say that confidently.

"Good work on that factory mission, boys. I've called for the gunships to begin extraction. Get some rest on the cruiser and await further orders. Dismissed."

The clones all gave sighs of relief. As much as they'd finally enjoyed fulfilling their purpose, not a single one of them wished for a longer day. Bolt sat next to Rex on a nearby rock, Auto and Patchwork joining them.

"Captain, this is Auto and Patchwork. I recommend them for immediate promotion," Bolt said, introducing his men.

Rex nodded. "How'd you get your names?"

Auto cleared his throat. "Well, sir. During basic training, I had a tendency to leave my weapon in the fully automatic setting. Purely by accident, sir."

Patchwork chuckled and nudged his friend. "You almost shot a few of us with your wild spread in the simulations. Me, I accidentally mismatched armor colors one time, and someone said I looked like a patchwork quilt. The name stuck ever since."

Rex smirked and looked to Bolt. "A couple of jokesters, eh? Well, at least you vouch for their leadership. I'll put in the request once we get back to the ship, Sergeant. You two, dismissed."

Auto and Patchwork saluted and left, leaving Bolt alone with Rex. "They're good men. They actually named me during the flanking operation. They said I always bolted in the opposite direction."

Rex chuckled. "I can see that very clearly."

Bolt took off his helmet and set it next to him. "Any word on who our Jedi general will be?"

Rex shook his head. "No, I've been to preoccupied with giving orders and fighting to ask command. I assume we'll figure it out once we get back to the cruiser."

Bolt nodded. "Well, if he's a conventional jedi, I'm not sure he'd like our reckless style."

Rex smirked and ran a gloved hand over his nearly bald head. "Yeah, let's hope we get lucky, yeah?"

Bolt was distracted by the sounds of engines. He looked to the sky and saw their extraction gunships headed for them. Bolt picked up his helmet, holding it by his side, and shouldered his rifle before heading towards the landing area they'd cleared.

When he and Rex boarded the nearest one, the pilot looked back at them. "Nice job on that factory, boys. Wish I'd have been on the ground."

"No, you don't," Bolt shook his head. He'd seen too many of his brothers die today, and his unit wasn't even hit very badly. He couldn't imagine how Rex was feeling.

* * *

"_501st Legion, report to the main hangar. 501st Legion, report to the main hangar."_

Bolt glanced up at the speakers and sighed. They couldn't even have a full day off after that hectic battle, could they? Nevertheless, Bolt attached his armor pieces and grabbed his helmet before heading for the hangar. When he arrived, he saw two massive legions assembled in front of some kind of makeshift podium made out of supply crates. The first, being the 501st, was assembled on the left, and the other was the 212th Attack Battalion, on the right. He made his way down the center column, taking his place next to Rex.

In front of them, on the crate podium, were three individuals. One was Admiral Yularen, the Admiral assigned to this Venator-class Star destroyer, the _Resolute._ The other two were recognizable only by their flowing robes and the metal cylinders that hung at their belts. They were Jedi.

One was older, having long, flowing hair, and a beard covering his chin. He had piercing blue eyes and a calm expression, as if he were constantly studying his surroundings. His left arm was in a sling, and his right leg, just above the knee was bandaged. His flowing brown robe was draped over his shoulders like a cloak.

The other Jedi was much younger, no older than twenty-one, Bolt would say. He was also much taller, and had darker blue eyes, as if he'd seen things you could only imagine. He seemed to prefer a black and brown leather scheme to the other Jedi's tan and brown. His hair was also shorter, and he was clean-shaven. The only outstanding feature about this one was his right arm, just below the elbow, was a gold-plated cybernetic piece.

When Admiral Yularen stepped forward, both legions came to a salute. He raised his hand, signaling at ease. "Good day, men. I would like to introduce to you your new commanding officers. To the 501st, I present Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. And to the 212th, I present Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Both legions saluted quickly in unison, and lowered their hands once again. "The Jedi wish to converse with their officers for the moment. The rest of you are dismissed."

Bolt looked at Rex and shrugged. Anakin Skywalker wasn't one of the prominent Jedi they'd read about and studied on Kamino, though he seemed to carry himself with an arrogant recklessness. They'd all heard of Obi-Wan Kenobi, though. The Sith-Killer that they'd studied from the Naboo Crisis.

Rex, along with Bolt and the other three Sergeants Muck, Stacker, and Kickstart, approached their new General, who eagerly hopped down to meet them. The five clones saluted, but General Skywalker quickly waved his hands. "Oh, I'm not big on military procedures and salutes, so how about you just call me General Skywalker?"

The five clones nodded. "Yes, General."

Anakin smiled. "Good. And what are your names?"

Rex spoke first. "Captain Rex, sir."

"Sergeant Bolt, sir."

The other three said their names as well, and Anakin placed a few of his metal fingers on his chin. "I take it you all earned your names in battle?"

"Yes, sir," Rex responded.

"You guys don't have to be so tense," Anakin chuckled before levitating six crates into a circle. "Sit, I want to hear the stories. And take off your helmets."

Bolt glanced at Rex and shrugged, sitting on his crate and placing his helmet next to him. His new hairstyle was on full display, as he'd gotten a lightning bolt shaved onto either side of his head. Anakin turned to Rex. "Let's start with you."

Rex cleared his throat. "Well, it was or first mission. We'd just landed, and I'd decided to split our forces to maximize flanking capacity. Only without backup, my company was surrounded on all sides by bugs and droids. The bugs had landed behind us after we'd charged towards the droids, so they were thinnest. I led my men back the way we'd came, and apparently, someone saw me rip the arm off of a bug with my bare hands, though I don't remember doing it."

Anakin whistled as Rex rubbed the back of his head. The Jedi nodded to Bolt next. "And you?"

"Well, I was leading second company, only we had sniper support, so I'd charge in, and the men and I would take out as many clankers as we could before they well and truly noticed us, then we'd 'bolt'," Bolt used air quotes, "in the opposite direction under the sniper coverfire."

Anakin smiled. "Alright, and you?"

"Muck, sir. I stepped in exploded bug."

Anakin blinked. "That's it?"

Muck nodded regretfully. He clearly hated the name, but all of his men were calling him that, and he'd be hard pressed to get them to call him anything else.

"Alright, next?"

"Stacker, sir. I would always order my men to stack up on doors and barricades in every simulation. I didn't earn mine in battle, sir."

Anakin nodded. "You don't need to earn a name in battle to be important. Sometimes, even the basic training is the most important part." He turned to Kickstart. "And finally?"

Kickstart chuckled. "Well, sir. I'd just hopped on a damaged AT-RT after its rider was shot. I tried to start it, but it simply wouldn't obey me. So I kicked it, and it immediately started."

Anakin laughed. "I know all too well, sometimes machines just need a little kick. Well, I wanted to hear all of your stories to get a feel for what each of you are like. I've been told you all have unique personalities, and aren't mindless clones. It appears that information was completely accurate."

"If you don't mind me saying so, General, we've told you our stories, what about yours?" Bolt spoke up, gesturing to Anakin's cybernetic arm.

Anakin looked down, and immediately his expression darkened. But he seemed to fight to contain it, and he calmed himself. "Oh, this? This is rather fresh, actually. I got my arm cut off by the Sith lord Count Dooku in the first hours of the battle. I've been on this cruiser ever since, recuperating from the procedure to attach this new arm."

Instantly, the five officers' respect levels for their General soared. This man before them was no older than twenty-one, and yet he'd already faced a Sith Lord, and survived. Additionally, he was already a full-fledged Jedi Knight, while most others his age would still be padawans.

Anakin nodded. "I look forward to working with all of you in the coming battles. I count you among my family now, and I protect my family."

Bolt somehow felt dark undertones from that sentence, but he didn't dare question it. Rather, he gave a salute and put his helmet back on his head to try and escape from the sudden cold.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS**

**This story is insane amounts of fun to write. Hope you guys are enjoying! Drop me a review if you have any questions or suggestions!**

**Chapter 3**

Bolt was already tired of being summoned to different places, and he'd only been deployed for a week. The last few days aboard the cruiser had been uneventful, as their Jedi General had left on some personal business. The cleanup on the surface of Geonosis was wrapping up, and the droids and bugs had been soundly defeated. Bolt, along with Rex had been summoned to the bridge of the _Resolute_, likely to meet with some of the commanders. Because all Venator-class Star Destroyers had two bridges, the starboard one was used as the primary command center.

When the doors to the bridge slid open, they revealed a large holotable, surrounded by several clone officers, as well as Admiral Yularen. Projected as holograms above the table was Taun We, and to Bolt's surprise, Commander Colt, the leader of Rancor Battalion. He also oversaw the defence of Kamino, and the training of new Arc troopers.

Captain Rex looked up at Bolt's arrival. "Ah, Sergeant Bolt, this is Commander Cody, the leader of the 212th, and you already know Admiral Yularen."

Bolt snapped to attention and saluted the assembled officers. "You called for me, sir?"

Rex nodded. "Yeah, we're discussing the next moves for us. The 501st is to take a leave of absence until General Skywalker returns, and that's why these two have contacted us."

Rex motioned towards Taun We and Commander Colt. Bolt stared up at them with curiosity. He wondered why such high ranking individuals would be contacting them about downtime. It was unlikely that they'd be asked to train a new batch of cadets due to their limited combat experience, so Bolt still had no clue why the 501st was being contacted.

"_Sergeant Bolt, I am Commander Colt. We've heard several stories about you here on Kamino. Captain Rex as well,"_ the ARC Commando began. "_I suppose you're wondering why we're contacting you, and I'll get straight to the point. We're looking for a new batch of recruits for the ARC program. We're taking the best standouts from the battle on Geonosis and placing them in the program. You and Captain Rex are among those listed."_

Bolt's eyes snapped to Rex as the other's eyebrows rose. The two of them had always talked of becoming ARC troopers since their days in basic training, but they never thought it would actually come to pass. Bolt was instantly filled with excitement and anticipation, and didn't doubt it was the same for Rex.

"_A shuttle will be arriving to transport the both of you back home at 0700 hours tomorrow morning. I look forward to completing your training, Colt out."_

When the transmission ended, Bolt broke out into a wide grin. He high fived Rex as the two cheered and celebrated before they remembered they were officers and had to behave as such. Commander Cody looked on with disappointment. Apparently, he'd gotten his name from always following standard procedures and protocol no matter the situation. Bolt also noted the fresh wound above his eye that was just beginning to scar.

"What a pair of idiots. The two of you command an entire legion and you're here jumping for joy like a pair of cadets that just fired their first blaster! And you're to be ARC troopers…" Cody trailed off, still shaking his head.

Rex laughed. "I don't know, Bolt, sounds like someone's jealous to me, don't you think? He's angry he went to special commanders' school instead of ARC training."

From the vein popping out of Cody's forehead, it was clear that Rex had hit the nail on the head. Fortunately, Admiral Yularen decided to jump in and keep the peace. "Gentlemen, I'm going to have to order you to behave yourselves or get off my bridge!"

The three clone officers snapped to attention. "Sir, yes, sir!"

* * *

Bolt woke early the next morning, using the fresher before donning his standard issue black bodysuit and blue-detailed armour. Even though it was uncomfortable to wear, as the kaminoans were not familiar with human anatomy, it still felt like it belonged on him. He was proud to wear the white and blue of the 501st, no matter the comfort level.

After he'd tugged his helmet over his head, he shouldered his DC-15S and proceeded to the main hangar, where the shuttle was scheduled to pick he and Rex up. Just as he passed the mess hall, he heard his name called from within.

"Bolt!"

Turning around, Bolt saw Auto and Patchwork jogging up to him. "We heard you're headed for ARC training! Wanted to see you off, considering we'll probably be dead by the time you get back," Patchwork shrugged.

Bolt shook his head and placed his right hand on the clone's shoulder. "You keep talking like that and you definitely will be. Besides, I won't be gone long. I'll complete my training and get back in time to save your skins. Farewell."

The two troopers saluted Bolt, and he returned the gesture, more out of respect than ceremony. Despite what Bolt may have said, he knew that any one of them could die at any moment. Bolt sighed and regained his composure as he set foot in the main hangar. He approached the shuttle that was assigned to carry them, it had its ramp down, and was loading a few cargo items on board. For once, it seemed that Bolt had finally beaten Rex.

When the Captain finally arrived, he was alongside Cody, who'd apparently come to see them off. Bolt didn't particularly care for Cody, but he was a brother. And seeing as how their two Generals were former master and student, Bolt had a feeling they'd be seeing a lot of Cody in the future. So there was no sense in making enemies, it would just be an extra pain in the rear in the long run.

Bolt clasped forearms with Rex, the hard plastoid being tested by the two men's strong grips. "You ready?" Bolt asked.

Rex chuckled. "I've been ready for this since the cadet days."

Bolt nodded and released his Captain before giving Cody a lazy salute. "Commander."

"Sergeant," Cody nodded. "Good luck back home. I hear Commander Colt is a real hard ass."

"I'll be sure not to anger him," Bolt smirked. "The same can't be said for the captain here."

Rex feigned offense. "I resent that. I am a model trooper!"

"If you were a model trooper, you wouldn't have those jaig eyes above your visor. Or have you forgotten that one man rampage you went on after the whole squad went down in that simulation?"

Rex tilted his head to the side and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, placing his hand behind his head. "Anyways, we'd better get on board."

"Right," Bolt said, facing the ramp of the loaded shuttle. He walked up and strapped himself in as the ramp shut behind them. The pilots looked back from the cockpit.

"It's an honor to have you boys on board. Heard you gave those clankers hell on the ground."

Bolt nodded. "Aye, we did. It was hell for us down there, too though."

The pilot nodded. "Seems that way for everyone, sir. Let's get out of here, yeah?"

Bolt sat back as he felt the shuttle lift off of the hangar floor. The sliding hangar doors on the top of the ship slid open as they passed through the shields. When they'd cleared the ship, Bolt took the opportunity to glance out the viewport at the _Resolute_. Only one word came to mind: beautiful. The gray arrowhead design and the red accents with the symbol of the Republic plastered on the hull just felt so inspiring to Bolt, a simple reminder of the cause they fought for.

He was forced back into his seat, however, when the pilot flipped the lever for the hyperdrive, turning the stars in front of them into streaks of blue-white light.

* * *

"Alright you maggots, listen up! I don't care what unit you're from, I don't care what your story is, I don't even care what Kaminoan pulled you from your growth tube. The only two things I care about are your names, and your training!"

Cody was definitely right about Commander Colt. The ARC commando had an air of arrogance and experience that left other troopers no choice but to listen to what he said. Physically, there was no distinction, but mentally, that was something entirely. The experience radiating off of this man made Bolt feel like a cadet again.

They were currently assembled in one of kamino's training hangars, about fifty troopers in total, in two rows of twenty-five. In front of them was Commander Colt, as well as his subordinate, Havoc. It seemed that the two highly trained ARC's were to supervise the next generation.

"Your names describe your personalities, and are also a byproduct of why you are here. They come from the deeds you do in war or the personality tendencies you have. Second, your training is the single most important thing to the Republic right now. There aren't enough Jedi to go on all the stealth missions, or missions of difficulty, so a new kind of trooper was created: ARC troopers."

Bolt smirked at that. They were only fueling these troopers' egos, making them think they were as good as Jedi. Bolt had no such thoughts, but he did understand the logic behind it. They needed specially trained troops, ones who could think quickly, and carry out missions of great difficulty.

"Some of you are here for your feats in combat," Colt continued, looking around the ranks. "Others, for your calm under pressure and tactics."

He'd looked directly at Bolt after that last sentence. Apparently, the Commander had already been informed of each of their stories. In any case, he knew all about them already, and they knew virtually nothing about him.

"You will learn to utilize those strengths, aiming them towards the completion of your missions. An ARC trooper never gives up his mission unless absolutely necessary, and they always think on their feet. I'm going to throw everything at you maggots. I'm going to test your minds like they've never been tested. I'm going to push your bodies to the brink, and then a little more. I WILL make you ARC troopers if it's the last thing I do. Do you understand me?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"'99 here will show you all to your barracks. Initial exam tomorrow at 0600. Dismissed."

Bolt let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as he searched for Rex. The troops began to lightly mingle as they started filing out of the hangar, following the deformed '99. Rex found Bolt among the crowd and moved to walk beside him.

"So, what do you think?" he asked.

Bolt gave a dry laugh. "Well, I think our commanding officer might kill us before the droids do."

"That's a very probable scenario. On the other hand, he could just make us the deadliest soldiers in the army. Aside from the clone commandos of course," Rex offered. Bolt shrugged, instead turning his attention to the front, where '99 began to talk.

"A-a-a-alright, first room is Bly and Ratchet from the 327th. The next is-"

'99 went down the roster of troopers, assigning two from the same legion to a room. Bolt and Rex were more towards the end of the corridor, but not quite at the end. The rooms themselves were just as bleak and barren as Bolt had remembered. The walls were stark white, serving as a sharp contrast to the steel gray bunks that protruded from them. The mattresses were covered by white sheets, and each one had a small closet with a sliding door for the trooper to stow his armor. A fresher was through an adjacent door.

"Here y-you boys are. I'll be r-rooting for you g-guys through your whole t-training," '99 said with a half smile. One side of his face was permanently droopy, but the other side rose higher than a Geonosian on death sticks.

Bolt chuckled. "Uh, thanks '99"

'99 nodded and limped from the room. "I-I'll be back after I f-finish with the others."

Rex raised an eyebrow. "Back?"

'99 gave another smile. "Of c-course. I like to hear the st-stories. It makes me feel l-like I'm out there, fighting w-with every one of my brothers."

Bolt looked to Rex with sad eyes. Sometimes, they got so caught up in the fact that they were normal clones, that they forgot about their brothers here at home that were born too weak or deformed to fight. '99 left and the door closed behind him. Bolt sighed and placed his helmet down at the foot of his bed.

"Well, Rex old boy, we made it," he said.

"Yeah, we did. Let's get some rest, who knows what the kriff Colt will have planned for us tomorrow."

* * *

Bolt cursed as another blaster bolt grazed the wall next to his head. He whirled and returned fire on the reprogrammed battle droids, dropping two with shots to the chest. He dove behind cover with his three squadmates to reassess the situation.

The initial exam, as it turned out, was a stealth mission. Infiltrate the enemy stronghold without being spotted, plant charges, and bail before detonating. Obviously, they'd failed to avoid detection, and now had to fight their way to the objective.

"What do we do, Captain?"

Rex peeked over the low wall they were using as cover. "There are maybe thirty clankers between us and the objective. Even if we could fight our way through that without taking casualties, we still have to cover for the charges to be set, and then we have to fight our way out. So we have two options, abandon the mission, or face the danger."

While the others contemplated their choices, Bolt took a look for himself. Sure enough, their target building was fifty meters away, and there were over two dozen B1's inbetween. The odds were starting to look low for mission success until Bolt spied something out of the corner of his eye. He darted back down below the wall.

"Captain, I have an idea, cover me!"

Bolt rolled out from behind the wall as the others laid down covering fire. Unfortunately, Bolt was using the carbine variant of the DC-15, as they hadn't been allowed to choose their own weapons for this particular test. Rex had been given dual DC-17's, and the other two were Bly and Ratchet, from the 327th, both wielding DC-15S's.

Bolt shot two clankers in his path before sprinting the ten meters to the small clanker armory that had been set up for the simulation. Right in the doorway sat a rocket launcher, begging to be shot. Bolt threw down his carbine and hefted the launcher over his shoulder, dropping to one knee. He aimed for the target building and fired. A blue ball of energy shot out and landed on the building, simulating an actual rocket, before 'exploding' in a shock of electricity that fried the nearest clankers.

Bolt recovered his carbine and ran back for cover as the others began the retreat. They'd accomplished their mission without having to fight through the entire clanker base, so Bolt counted it as a win, even though they had been spotted. When all four of them had reached the start tunnel, all of the droids dropped to the ground, and the simulation bay tiles returned to their normal, flat state, no longer looking like several buildings. They turned and left the bay, snapping to attention when they emerged in front of Commander Colt and Havoc.

"Well, I must say, I've never seen a group of leadfoots as loud as you four in all my days of training. Seriously, what were you doing? B1's are the dumbest droids in the galaxy, and you couldn't even sneak past them! Though, I will give you points for completing your mission despite that fact. Sergeant Bolt, excellent improvisational skills. And Captain Rex, your leadership continues to impress," Colt leaned forward to speak into Rex's ear. "And just between us, you're a natural with those dual pistols, I'd consider switching to them if I were you. Alright, that's it, the four of you passed. Ratchet, work on your stealth skills, you'll never be an ARC if you can't elude a couple of droids. Dismissed."

Bolt gave a sigh of relief. They'd just passed their initial simulation, and he'd gained praise from Commander Colt. Things were looking up. He gave Ratchet a playful punch on the shoulderplate. "Don't take it too seriously. Sure, you got detected, but we still completed our mission. Besides, I wouldn't have made it to that rocket launcher without your covering fire."

Ratchet smirked. "Thanks, Bolt. I won't let you guys down again."

Rex nodded to each of them. "Good work today, boys. Out of all of us, I'd say we have the most balanced team so far. With my leadership, Bly's combat, Ratchet's demolitions, and Bolt's tactics, we can't go wrong. Get some rest, use the fresher. Commander said there'd be a class on tactics later tonight."

Bolt rubbed his hands together in excitement. Sure, combat was fun and everything, but the tactician's room was where Bolt really shone. His extremely low casualty rate and efficient maneuvers during the Battle of Geonosis had earned him a reputation among the higher ups as a brilliant mind. Rex, on the other hand, made impressions by incredible feats during combat, as well as his ability to rally his men in even the most dire of situations. In short, the two made an impressive pair, and they foresaw many victories in their future.

* * *

Bolt's eyes were firmly glued to the holoprojector in front of him. The still shot in front of them was from the Battle of Geonosis. It was a large canyon, with sheer cliff on either side. In the center was a squad of cone troopers, and one AT-TE. The All Terrain Tactical Enforcer was the staple armoured tank of the Grand Army of the Republic. Its versatility and firepower, as well as its toughness had served the Republic's forces well during the battle. It had four guns on the front, surrounding the driver's seat, as well as two more in the rear. On top was the large cannon, capable of destroying an AAT in one shot. Its six legs were equipped with climbing spikes, allowing it to scale directly up walls or, as it turned out, cliff faces.

The current class was being taught by Havoc, who was at the front of the room while Commander Colt sat off to the side, ready to judge each trooper's response to the given questions.

"This is a still of an actual operation from the Battle of Geonosis. The objective was for the squad to find a way up onto the Western ridge, but they came under fire from the East ridge before they could find a safe route. What would be your next move?" Havoc inquired to the ARC trainees.

Bolt lifted his hand into the air, waiting for the call so he could speak. "Yes, Bolt?"

"Sir, I would order the tank to scale the Western cliff face, sir."

"And what of the troops on the Eastern ridge?" Havoc asked.

"I would have the tank focus its fire on the Eastern ridge, while the men with ascension cables keep the Western ridge occupied, sir."

Havoc nodded with approval. Commander Colt followed suit. "Good. You have a gifted mind for tactics, Bolt. No wonder your men spoke so highly of you. In this instance, what actually occurred was the squad bunkered down in the middle of the canyon, using the tank for cover. While they damaged the tank, they took minimal losses due to the arrival of air support several hours later. So my question to you, Bolt, is why rush it and attack?"

Bolt weighed his answer before speaking. "I would have to know the time sensitivity of the mission, sir. If I had time to spare, then I would do everything possible to protect my men, but if the mission was critical, as it it implied, then I would do as I stated earlier."

Colt nodded and motioned for Havoc to continue. "The mission was indeed time sensitive, and the squad missed their rendezvous point because they bunkered down. Good call, Sergeant."

Rex gave Bolt a fist bump under the table in congratulations before turning his attention to the next scenario. This went on for a couple hours before they were dismissed for the day. Most of the men left for the mess hall, while others went straight off to bed. And others still, having done poorly on the initial exam, headed for the training arenas to try and get some extra practice in. Bolt and Rex were among the formers.

When the two brothers sat down with their food, they chatted about the mission scenarios they'd seen, and Bolt gave Rex advice on what to do in certain situations, and the variables that influence the choices. Finally, the conversation took a more serious turn.

"So how long do you think it'll take to become ARC troopers?" Bolt asked.

Rex shrugged, he had no clue. "Could be days, weeks, or months, who knows? The real question is, are we going to stay here and complete the training no matter how long it takes? Or if the 501st gets deployed, do we rejoin them?"

"What?" Bolt asked incredulously. "You're considering not staying? What happened to always wanting to become ARC troopers?"

Rex shook his head. "I just don't think it's worth it, sitting here and training while our men are out there risking their lives. Especially since I'm their commanding officer."

Bolt nodded solemnly and dropped his head. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

That statement from Rex had swept the rug right out from under Bolt's feet. He thought he was surefooted in what he wanted to do, but Rex reminding him of his brothers out there that could be placed into harms way at any time had tossed his thoughts into the air. Whichever one hit the ground first was sure to win.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS**

**Chapter 4**

"Gentlemen! It is not my pleasure, but it is my duty to induct you all into the ranks of the ARC troopers. You will be considered the best of the best among your respective legions, and will report directly to your Jedi Generals."

Bolt stole a glance at Rex, who was trying to hold back a smile. Trying and failing, that is. Bolt smirked and returned to attention before Colt could crack down on him. He made a mental note to tease Rex afterwards.

"You will each have transports waiting for you in this hangar at 1500 hours. Get yourselves to the armory and re-outfit yourselves beforehand. Gentlemen, it's been an honor, dismissed."

Colt nodded to each of the men, even grasping forearms in a sign of respect for a few of them, Bolt included. When they grasped forearms, Colt looked him dead in the eye. "You've got a great mind, kid. Put it to use, yeah? Give 'em hell."

"Aye, sir. You can count on me."

Bolt released Colt's arm and saluted before turning on his heel to join his brothers. Rex and Bly were deep in conversation when Bolt found them. "How we feeling, boys?"

Rex smiled. "Well, Bly and I were just talking about what we're going to do with our personalized armor. I was thinking of a pauldron and a kama. Would go nice with my jaig eyes."

Bolt chuckled. "I suppose next you'll be switching to pistols?"

"Yes, actually," Rex said, being completely serious.

Bolt shook his head, placing two fingers on his temples. "It's like I don't know you anymore."

Rex looked him up and down. "I could say the same thing to you. Where was your strategic mind during basic training, huh? Just wanted me to make up all the plans?"

"Well, they weren't terrible, so I didn't want to take the extra effort to amend them," Bolt shrugged.

Bly held his hands out. "Relax guys, we haven't even gotten back to the war yet. I'm going to the armoury to customize my armor before we get shipped off, the two of you coming?"

Bolt looked at Rex and shrugged. "Yeah, why not."

To an outsider, the identical white hallways of Kamino would seem like an impassable maze, but the clones knew it by heart. Ten years of constant routine and training had seen to that. The armory itself was unimpressive, but it didn't need to impress to be effective. The extra sets of armor were lined up on one wall, opposite the weapons. On the back wall sat crates of ammunition and additional armor pieces. Naturally, Rexand Bly made straight for the back wall, and Bolt rolled his eyes before following.

Rex immediately placed a pauldron on his left shoulder, the dark gray and black matching well with the color scheme of the 501st. He then attached a kama around his waist, the black fiber covering his thighs and knees. He then attached a holster on either side, filling them with dual DC-17 pistols. Bly outfitted himself relatively identically, only with a yellow-brown kama instead of Rex's black one. He also added macrobinoculars onto his helmet.

Bolt decided to take a more subtle approach, and placed a weapons belt over his shoulder. He also added macrobinoculars, as well as placing a strap on his DC-15S, allowing him to carry it on his shoulder instead of his hands.

Deciding that all of them were prepared enough, they headed back to the hangar. More time had passed than they'd realized. Saying their farewells to Bly and Ratchet, Rex and Bolt boarded their Republic shuttle. The pilot looked back and saluted them.

"Welcome aboard, Captain, Sergeant. Just running the preflight checks now. We'll be out of here in no time."

"Where are we headed, trooper?" Rex asked.

"Coruscant, sir. General Skywalker is still on recovery, though I'm told we're to be deployed within the week, sir."

"At least we didn't miss anything," Bolt remarked as he sat down, placing his helmet and rifle on the bench next to him. Rex sat across from him as the hum of the engines signaled their impending departure. Bolt strapped himself in as The shuttle lifted off of the hangar floor, passing through the shields and heading for open space. Bolt once again caught glimpses of the Venator-class Star Destroyers now in permanent orbit of the second-most important planet in the Republic. They quickly faded out of sight, though, as the stars turned to bright streaks and the shuttle jumped to hyperspace.

* * *

Bolt's first thought of Coruscant was that it was entirely too bright and yellow. The entire surface looked to be one enormous city that never slept. There were equally as many ships in orbit of Coruscant, if not more than Kamino, considering that it was the capital of the Galactic Republic.

"Yes, sir. The entire planet is one city, but don't get too excited. We've just received word that we're to take you straight to the _Resolute._"

Bolt grunted in disgust. "Not that place again. We leave and go straight back?"

The pilot chuckled. "Don't worry, sir. You're to be deployed as soon as General Skywalker hits the bridge."

Bolt nodded. At least they had orders. General Skywalker had finally been healed from his severe injuries at the hands of Count Dooku, and a little time on leave had seemed to spark his fire. Bolt and Rex knew they were itching for a fight after all those days of blasting simulation droids with stun rounds. It remained to be seen if their Jedi General was anything like the hothead they'd all heard about. From their brief meeting in the hangar of the _Resolute_, General Skywalker had seemed friendly and reserved, aside from the cold feelings that the clones had experienced.

Bolt sighed in frustration as the landing gear hit the cold, metal durasteel of the hangar floor. But his demeanor quickly changed when he saw the dozens of brothers assembled to welcome them back. That was when Bolt realized that however bored he was at training, it was nothing compared to how these men must have felt on this star destroyer for weeks.

First among the troops was Auto and Patchwork, as well as Sergeants Muck, Kickstart, and Stacker. Bolt smiled and shook hands with each of them. "How've you boys been, huh?"

"Bored out of our minds, sir. Ready to kick some metal butt," Auto smirked.

Rex chuckled. "Yeah, us, too. We're tired of shooting training droids, we need the real thing. There's nothing like that rush of combat, right men?"

The few dozen clones all raised their fists in agreement, and a loud cheer went up in the hangar, causing all of the other clones, pilots, and ship's crew to stop and look at them. Once they figured out what was going on, they joined in.

As the roar died down, it was replaced by the pounding of heavy boots on the steel floor. "Well, I'm glad to see that my men are as ready to go as I am."

All the troopers whirled around and saw General Skywalker heading towards them. He was no longer in his dark robes, but rather a navy blue tunic with dark gray plastoid chest and shoulder armour. His left shoulder plate had the symbol of the Jedi Order painted in red. A steel cylindrical object that the clones knew to be a lightsaber was clipped to his belt, swaying with him as he walked.

All the clones immediately arranged themselves into ranks, and stood at attention with the arrival of their General. Bolt stood with rex and the other officers in front, all saluting with their right arms.

Anakin waved a hand. "At ease, men. I've just received word from the Jedi Council that we are tasked with aiding Senator Organa, who is trapped on the surface of Christophsis. Our orders are to break through the Separatist blockade and deliver relief supplies to the clones on the surface, as well as get the Senator off-world. So, be ready for ground assault at any moment, gentlemen."

"Sir, yes, sir!"

* * *

Bolt braced himself as the ship was rocked by yet another round of turbolaser fire from the enemy blockade. Several Lucrehulk battleships, Munificent Frigates, and a single Providence-class Carrier-Destroyer were surrounding the planet. Meanwhile, the Republic fleet was outgunned, with only three Venator-class Star Destroyers in a wedge formation, the _Resolute_ at the head. They were covering three small supply cruisers that carried the relief supplies needed on the surface.

The space that spanned between the two fleets was covered in red and blue turbolaser rounds. Most of them were absorbed by the shields of the respective ships, but one of the Venators was staring to take physical damage, as its shields were destroyed. Flames were just beginning to come out of the hull when the enemy's command ship, the Providence-class, decided to bear down on them. Bolt and Rex were studying the strategy map on the holotable as Admiral Yulare and General Skywalker stood at the viewport, giving out orders to the fleet.

Bolt had quickly put together that they were only in this situation because General Skywalker was too brash and impatient to wait for reinforcements. Though, he could understand his reasons. The faster they broke the blockade, the faster the troops on the surface gained their relief supplies.

Looking down at the table, Bolt saw another ship appear behind the moon that they had their back against. General Kenobi's figure appeared shortly afterwards. Bolt and Rex snapped to attention. "General Kenobi, we've been looking forward to your reinforcement, sir."

Obi-Wan looked seriously at Rex. "Get Anakin here, now!"

Bolt turned and called up the bridge. "General Skywalker! General Kenobi requests a word!"

Anakin came sprinting over, the Admiral close on his heels. "Master! Come on! I need your support. We can break this blockade!"

"No, Anakin. I want you to withdraw!"

Anakin looked dumbfounded. "Withdraw?

Obi-Wan nodded. "I brought a new toy that might give us an advantage."

Admiral Yularen looked between the Jedi, his gaze finally settling on Anakin. "With respect, General. Now might not be a bad time to regroup!"

Anakin looked down, back and forth, seemingly weighing his options, before finally looking to the Admiral. "Signal the fleet to retreat behind the moon. Tell the cruisers to protect the supply ships."

"Yes, General," the Admiral replied, heading back onto the bridge.

Anakin looked back to Obi-Wan. "I don't like this, I hope you know what you're doing."

Obi-Wan smirked. "Anakin, trust me," he said as the transmission ended.

Anakin pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. Bolt ran a hand through his hair, his fingertips running over the lightning bolt design on the sides of his head. "Apologies, General. Perhaps if I'd helped come up with a better strategy-"

Anakin cut him off. "Save it. This isn't your fault, I just hope my Master's 'new toy' as he put it, can get us through that blockade."

* * *

Bolt was letting off some steam with Rex in the sparring chambers while the fleet regrouped. Both of them were equally frustrated at the lack of action that was offered to them. Bolt threw a right hook, which Rex ducked and countered with an uppercut that Bolt had to catch with his left hand. He shoved Rex away with a small kick to the abdomen, resuming his stance. The two circled eachother and were about to attack again, when the red alerts began to sound.

"_All troopers, to your gunships. All troopers, to your gunships."_

Bolt barely even glanced at Rex, the two of them dashing out of the sparring room and back to their quarters, where they re-outfitted themselves in their armor. Bolt slung his rifle over his shoulder, the new strap coming in handy, before sprinting for the hangar. He found Rex with the other officers, as well as General Kenobi. Bolt hastily saluted before asking, "What's the plan?"

"Well, Anakin has just destroyed the Separatist command ship. We are advancing on the blockade now. Without their commander, they should be easy prey. We will signal you when it is time to begin your landing cycle," General Kenobi detailed.

"Yes, sir," the officers chorused.

With that, Obi-Wan jumped into his nearby starfighter and took off into space, the _Resolute's_ own fighter squadrons hot on his tail. Bolt watched them disappear out the dorsal hangar before turning back to Rex with a grin.

"Finally, some action."

Rex nodded. "Yeah. From what I've been hearing, the Seppies are dug in pretty deep down there. It's gonna be a tough job to dig 'em all out."

"Hey, that's what ARC troopers are for, though, right?" Bolt asked with a shrug. Rex chuckled.

"You got that right," he said, grasping forearms once again with Bolt. "I'll see you down there."

Bolt watched his friend board the gunship before he turned to get to his own. LAAT/i gunships were built for speed, troop transportation, and air to ground support. They could carry a maximum of thirty passengers, so Bolt's gunship was already full with two squads, all awaiting his orders.

"Alright men, as soon as we get the signal, we're headed for the surface. When we land, our first priority is to set up a base camp in a defensible position that we can strike out from. We may have to defend our position while we work, so be prepared for anything. Clear?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

* * *

Bolt was making the last inspections of the equipment and armour that was being sent down with them while he waited for the call. The AT-TE's were covered with their specialized gunship transports, only their six legs visible. Bolt knew the tanks would be a vital part of taking this planet, so he wanted them in the back of the formation, furthest away from enemy anti-aircraft fire. There was also a battery of heavy cannons waiting to be deployed, but those would wait until after the base had been established.

Bolt was nearing the last walker when his comlink blipped and flashed green as Admiral Yularen's voice sounded through it. "_Gunships, go, you are clear! Repeat, you are clear for landing!"_

Bolt sprinted back to his gunship and yelled at the pilot to take off. In all, maybe a dozen or so gunships left the hangar, blast shields completely closed against the vacuum of space. The hum of the powerful repulsor engines was the only sound that could be heard for a while. At least until a low rumble began, expanding into a dull roar as the gunships entered the atmosphere. Bolt positioned himself behind the pilot so he could still see out while the blast shields remained closed.

The ground drew ever closer, and Bolt kept bracing for the enemy fire that never came. They landed without a scratch, in a small assembly area near Senator Organa's command center. Bolt dropped to one knee as the gunship took off before heading towards the command center, giving his men orders to assist with the offloading of supplies. General Kenobi's 212th Attack Battalion was making their landing as well, their troopers spreading out to cover the perimeter.

Bolt made it to the command center around the same time as Rex. Anakin was already there, in conversation with the Senator. Obi-Wan seemed to still be in the fight in space, as his starfighter was nowhere to be seen.

"Senator, I'm afraid I must insist. A battlefield is no place for a politician. Please, allow my men to escort you back to the cruiser," Anakin pleaded with the Alderaanian.

Senator Organa relented with a sigh. "Very well, master Jedi. I will concede to your judgement and return to the Senate." Anakin nodded in approval and turned to escort the Senator back to the stealth ship, which was bound for the cruiser that Obi-Wan came in.

Rex motioned for Bolt to follow him as they walked behind the communications panels. They found the Lieutenant in command of the Senator's detachment. "Trooper, what's the situation?"

Commander Cody suddenly appeared at Bolt's side before the Lieutenant began to speak. "Well, sir, we have a base set up, two entrances, North and South. There's a depot station for armour and gunships, as well as a mess hall, barracks, and a command tower."

Rex nodded. "Sounds about right. Any word on how may droids are on surface?"

The Lieutenant shook his head. "Sorry, Captain, thousands, if not more."

Bolt's eyes widened and he gave a mischievous grin. Finally, he would get to blast something that would stay dead. "And where is the enemy base located?" Bolt asked.

"About ten clicks North of here. The main highway connects both of us, and has been our main battleground so far. They number too many, and we were forced to give too much ground."

Cody placed a hand on the chin of his helmet. "With the armour and heavy cannons, we should be able to push them back to their own doorsteps and blow them away, don't you think?"

Rex nodded. "Especially with two Jedi."

"Someone say Jedi?" a voice from their left asked, signaling Anakin's return. "I trust you've learned about the enemy position and strengths already?"

Rex motioned for the Lieutenant to be dismissed as he turned to face his general. "Aye, sir. The enemy position is ten clicks north of here. They appear to number in the thousands, and it is safe to assume that they have armour as well, sir."

Anakin pursed his lips and furrowed his brow in thought. "Well, I'd take our armour over theirs, and with our fleet in orbit, as well as the gunships, we have the clear advantage. I'd need more information, though. So, I propose that my new ARC troopers go on a little reconaissance mission while I stay here and coordinate with Cody until Obi-Wan gets here. Take a couple speeder bikes and scout out the enemy position, but stay out of sight."

Bolt and Rex nodded and saluted. "Yes, sir!"

* * *

Bolt edged up closer to the top of the pile of rubble they were sheltering behind. He flipped down his macrobinoculars and adjusted the zoom so he could clearly see the enemy base. The droid army seemed to be holed up around the capitol building, as it served as their base of operations. They had dozens of AAT's, as well as several Octuptarra droids. Not to mention the thousands of B1 and B2 super battle droids that looked like a colony of ants marching around.

Bolt flipped his binocular back up and slid down to Rex. "There's thousands of them. Their tanks outnumber ours, and they have Octuptarra's. Also, there appears to be battalions that go out on patrol every now and then. One just passed us, and is headed towards our base."

Rex shook his head. "The General's not gonna like that."

"I agree, but we need to focus on getting out of here undetected. It was hard enough getting to this spot," Bolt argued.

Rex nodded, pulling out his pistols in case things went hot. Bolt followed suit and slung his rifle around to the front, untangling the strap from him and holding it at the ready. He lifted two fingers and flipped them forward, signaling Rex to advance.

Rex crept out from behind the rubble, looking both ways to make sure no battle droids were in their path before he sprinted across the street. Bolt held his rifle out in front of him, ready to cover for Rex should he need it. When Rex reached the other side, pressing his back against a building, he checked for droids again. When the coast was clear, he waved all clear to Bolt. The latter took off at top speed across the octagonal-shaped tiles of the street. He dove in cover behind Rex and aimed his rifle back the way they'd came. He stayed looking down the barrel as Rex tapped his shoulder.

Bolt stood up, still looking down the sights, and slowly walked backwards until the second tap came, which meant run. He flipped and followed Rex back towards the BARC speeder bikes. They were approaching the final corner when Rex held up a fist, the universal sign for halt. He slowly crept towards the edge of the building, peeking around the edge. He stepped back and held up four fingers, meaning four droids, then made a counterclockwise motion, telling Bolt to head around the building and flank them. Bolt nodded and slowly backpedaled, making sure not to make any unnecessary noises.

He tiptoed along the outer walls, sticking to the shadows. When he reached the side opposite Rex, he leaned around and spied the droids for himself. Two supers and two B1's. He tapped his comlink, only sending a single beep, telling Rex he was ready. Rex replied with a triple tap, meaning attack.

Bolt rolled out from the side of the building, dropping into a low crouch, rifle held at the ready. He dropped the first B1 with a headshot, and put two rounds into one of the super battle droids, but their armor was tougher. Bolt dove behind a nearby chunk of stone to avoid the incoming blaster fire. He heard pistol shots going off, meaning Rex was still engaged, so Bolt stood, resting the barrel of his DC-15S on the stone, and fired three more bolts into the super battle droid, dropping it at the same time that Rex dropped his. The four scrapped droids were hissing and sparking from the burns and circuit damage as Bolt walked towards them. Luckily, they hadn't damaged the bikes, so Bolt mounted his and started the engine. Rex holstered his pistols and did the same, revving his. He made a flat hand forward gesture, and the two took off back down the main highway.

* * *

The door to the command center slid open, allowing Bolt and Rex to step inside. They gave eachother a fist bump for mission completed as they approached the Jedi Generals. They saluted and dropped their hands when told to do so.

"What did you discover, Captain?" General Kenobi asked.

Rex nodded to Bolt. "The Sergeant here discovered that the enemy has several dozen AAT's, as well as Octuptarra droids, not to mention the thousands of battle and super battle droids. Additionally, they appear to send entire battalions on patrol, and one is headed this way now."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "Indeed? Well, maybe we should plan a greeting party for them, don't you think, Anakin?"

Anakin smirked. "I couldn't agree more, Master. I've even got a strategy in mind."

Anakin led the way to the holotable, pulling up a map of the city. It showed the main highway, with the previous command center highlighted. Anakin pointed to it, adding arrows on either side.

"I say we draw them in, then flank them while you and I distract them from the front," Anakin said to Obi-Wan.

Bolt stepped forward. "With respect, General, I believe my strategy is worth some consideration as well, sir."

General Kenobi motioned for Bolt to go ahead. "By all means, we could use all the input we can get."

"Thank you, sir. While the Captain Rex and I were on our mission, I noticed two abandoned business centers here. They are on either side of the main highway, and would provide an excellent ambushing position from high floors."

Anakin nodded. "I agree. If we set up portable cannons with the troopers, we could catch the Separatists in a crossfire and cut them to pieces. Good call, Sergeant Bolt."

"Thank you, sir," Bolt nodded.

"That only leaves one problem, though. You said they have entire battalions on patrol, correct? That means tanks, and lots of them. How do we plan to take care of them before they decide to fire on the buildings we're trapped in?" Obi-Wan asked.

Cody stepped forward from his position behind his general. "We could use portable rocket launchers, sir. They are easy enough to carry up into the buildings, but they pack enough of a punch that they could bring down the tanks. Even the portable cannons we have would take down the tanks with enough sustained fire, sir."

Obi-Wan nodded, still stroking his beard. "It appears we have a plan, then. Commander, ready your best men, and prepare the gunships."

"Same for you, Rex. Pick your best two squads," Anakin ordered.

"Sir, yes, sir!"


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS**

**Chapter 5**

Bolt stepped out of the elevator once the doors slid open. They were on the 46th floors of both the North and South towers. The height they were at provided a great viewing distance, as well as a covered position from which to ambush the enemy. Just as Bolt pulled his helmet down over his head, he heard General Skywalker's comlink go off.

"_Anakin, how are you doing over there?"_ General Kenobi asked.

The tall Jedi turned to look around at the men of the 501st, _his_ men. "We're all set. I've got some guys here that are anxious to get going."

"_Glad to hear it,"_ Obi-Wan replied from the opposite tower.

Anakin ended the transmission and faced Bolt. "What's the situation?"

"The enemy battalion is only a few minutes from here, sir. A full platoon of battle droids, as well as tanks," Bolt reported.

Anakin nodded. "Those tanks will make things a little more difficult, but we should be fine with the cannons we have here."

Rex was inspecting the cannons as they spoke, making sure there were no lingering malfunctions or hiccups that might put a wrinkle in their plans. He approached Bolt and Anakin when he'd finished.

"Cannons are good to go, sir. And right on time, too. The droids have just turned the corner straight ahead of us."

Bolt flipped down his macrobinoculars and focused them on the highway. Sure enough, he could see the enemy, marching in rows of six, with tanks staggered behind them. He pulled his rifle off of his shoulder and kneeled down next to the railing, preparing to fire. At least until he saw blue and red blaster fire through the windows of Obi-Wan's tower.

"Sir! General Kenobi's been compromised!"

Anakin bolted for the windows and looked across the highway. He brought his comlink up to his face. "Obi-Wan, what's going on?"

"_We're cut off, the droids are on to us,"_ came the answer.

Anakin growled in frustration. "Gunship, come in. Hawk, we need an evac in the south tower."

Bolt could practically see Rex raise an eyebrow beneath his helmet. "But, sir, we're in the north."

Anakin looked back with a grin. "Not for long."

He activated his lightsaber and slashed the window before blowing it apart with the Force. He pointed across with his metal arm. "Cables!"

Three troopers ran forward with ascension cables underneath the barrels of their DC-15S's, launching them towards the south tower. Anakin grabbed an extra carbine and used it to zipline across. Bolt shook his head with a chuckle before leaping out after his General. He looked down and saw the dozens of droids below start to notice them. They began firing, and several of the men were hit, causing them to plummet to their deaths. Bolt held onto either side of his rifle as the cable slid along the center. Wen they reached the other side, Anakin kicked in the window and led them down the hallway towards Obi-Wan and the 212th.

Bolt dropped into a roll on impact and brought his rifle up, firing on the droids that General Skywalker wasn't in the way of. They quickly cleared the hallway and adjacent room before joining General Kenobi, who'd previously been surrounded.

"This way's clear!" Anakin announced.

Obi-Wan looked at him with surprise. "How did you get over here?"

"I improvised," Anakin replied as he blocked blaster bolts.

Bolt couldn't help but chuckle at the dynamics of the two Generals. They were more like brothers than former master and apprentice. It was probably why their men respected them so much, because they saw kinship in the two Jedi that wasn't common among the rest of the Order.

When an opening was cleared for a few seconds, Cody signaled for the retreat, and all the clones backed into the elevators. Bolt leaned against one side and continued to fire at the droids until the two Jedi joined them. When the doors closed, Rex pressed the button for the top floor, and they began their ascent.

On any other occasion, Bolt would've said the view was beautiful when the doors opened, but given the circumstances, he couldn't exactly stop and admire it. He sprinted for some cover and faced the elevator while the rest of the men ran for the ledge, eagerly awaiting Hawk's arrival in the gunship. Bolt decided he'd act as rearguard, and board last.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Bolt let off a volley, dropping three droids before they knew what hit them. When they opened fire, the rest of the clones turned to face them, adding their fire to Bolt's. Then, the second elevator, on the opposite wall, opened, revealing a tactical droid with another squad of battle droids. Bolt directed his fire towards them until he thought of an idea. He quickly dispatched the regular battle droids with well-placed shots to the chest and head before throwing his rifle over his shoulder and rushing the tactical droid. He rolled to avoid the droid's fire, popping up and ripping the droid's head off before turning to board the gunship that had finally arrived.

It had just began to pull away from the roof, and Bolt began to worry that he might not make it, but when he jumped, Rex's arm extended and grasped his, just like all those handshakes they'd shared, pulling him into the aircraft. Bolt collapsed on his back, breathing heavily from the scare that he'd just experienced. Rex patted him on the chest, taking the droid head out of his hands.

"Good thinking, Bolt. Maybe this tactical droid will tell us how they knew our plan."

* * *

Bolt yelled in frustration and chucked his helmet against a wall. All he wanted was to impress his new generals with his tactical skills, but his plan had been ruined for some unknown reason, and they;d lost brothers.

"Calm down, Bolt. Let's just see what's on this droid," Cody tried as Rex attached data cables to the droid's head. A display of the two towers came up on the holotable, with the levels they were on highlighted.

"_The Republic Army is in the north and south towers, level 46."_

Rex sighed. "It just doesn't make any sense. Blast!" he cursed as the droid short-circuited.

Bolt grit his teeth. "Kriff."

"Well at least we're not the only ones having a bad day," Anakin said from behind them, Obi-Wan at his side.

Rex, Cody, and Bolt snapped to attention. "Generals. They had all our intel. Down to the very last floor level."

Anakin nodded. "That would explain the ambush. How could we have left ourselves so vulnerable to a security breach?"

"I was thinking the same thing, sir," Bolt said.

Obi-Wan turned around, seemingly lost in thought. "I don't think we did."

Anakin looked gravely at the other Jedi. "You think someone...infiltrated our defenses?"

"Possibly. It would have to be someone cunning and resourceful enough to gain access to all our plans," Obi-Wan stated.

Bolt leaned forward, placing his hands on the holotable. "But that still doesn't explain how they got our intel."

"No, you're right. They wouldn't act alone. They'd have someone working with them."

Cody looked dumbfounded. "A spy, sir? But who would want to betray our troops to the Seppies?"

"Excellent question, Commander. Perhaps it's time we made a visit behind enemy lines," Obi-Wan proposed. "I think we'll find our answers there."

Rex nodded. "We'll get right on it."

"No, captain," Obi-Wan shook his head. "I need the three of you here to find the security breach. And keep it between the five of us. This mission is extremely confidential. The spy could be anyone. Let no one know of our mission."

"Understood, sir," Rex saluted.

Bolt was livid. He glared at the other two officers with anger in his eyes. "I want to find whoever did this, and I want to paint my wall with their blood."

Cody was about to protest, but he was distracted with a low beeping from the comms table. He reached down and picked up a comlink. "Someone left his comlink on. Someone has been listening to everything we said."

Rex walked over to the door and peered into the hallway. He seemed to have spotted someone, because he shouted "Hey! Stop!"

Bolt started after him, pausing for a brief second to tell Cody, "Stay here in case he doubles back!"

His boots pounded on the durasteel of the base floor as he pushed to catch up to Rex. Their suspect was several meters in front of them, and turned into the East corridor. Bolt nodded to Rex, the two silently communicating what to do. Bolt followed the culprit, while Rex moved into the West corridor to cut him off.

When Bolt rounded the corner, he placed his hands immediately in the air, as Rex had one of his pistols out. Looking left, he realized they were at the door to the mess hall. Rex tapped the button, and the doors slid open, revealing an entire room of white tables and white-armoured troopers.

"We've got a big problem. The only people in here are brothers."

* * *

Cody looked up as Bolt and Rex returned. "I take it you didn't catch him, then?"

Bolt shook his head. "No, but we figured something out. The spy is a brother."

"One of us? Great," Cody remarked sarcastically.

Rex placed his fingers on his chin. "But which one?"

"We'll have to wait for his next move. Keep this to ourselves," Cody said as he walked over to the communications table. "I'll contact the Jedi."

After a few seconds of button pushing and testing, Cody sighed and pounded a fist against the table. "Communications on their end are being jammed. We're on our own for this one."

Bolt nodded. "Well, I guess we'd better start thinking like a spy."

Rex looked down at R2-D2, General Skywalker's astromech, and patted its head as it beeped at him. "Artoo, come over here and plug in."

"What are you having him look for?" Bolt asked.

Rex shrugged. "Anything. The guy got his messages out there somehow. Just gotta find them."

"Yeah, like he sent a note by carrier pigeon, come on, Rex," Bolt jested, earning a laugh from Cody.

"You have to start somewhere. What have you got, Artoo?"

Artoo beeped and whirled his head around in a celebratory manner. Bolt chuckled and picked up the datapad. There was a chart of wavelengths and spotty interference over the past few days.

"Is it the traitor?" Cody asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe. Artoo's looking for wavelength interference, and it's only showing up at one terminal every few days. Then it disappears," Bolt explained.

"Which terminal?" Rex asked.

Bolt handed Cody the datapad. "Slick's barracks," the commander realized. "Only Slick's men would have access to that terminal."

"Slick's not gonna like that," Rex cautioned, warranting a chuckle from Bolt. He could remember the days on Kamino when Sergeant Slick had cracked down on some shinies for breaking code. His name was slick because the enemy team could never capture him in team vs. team combat.

"No, he isn't," Cody agreed. "But if one of his men is giving away our intel, we have to find him and sort this out."

Bolt sighed and massaged his temples. "This is gonna be a long night."

"We'd better get going. Slick's barracks is near the South exit," Rex said. Bolt nodded solemnly and followed the two superiors to the barracks.

They knocked on the door, and Slick opened it for them. "Ah, Captain Rex, sir. To what do I owe the visit? I hope this isn't another inspection, my boys and I are in tip top condition, sir."

Rex shook his head. "No inspection. This is about something else."

Slick's eyes darted between the three officers standing in front of him. He settled back on Rex and crossed his arms. "Alright, what is it?"

"Well, to put it bluntly, we've found evidence of a traitor in your barracks, and we need to talk to them."

Slick uncrossed his arms and waved them sideways, motioning no. "No way. My guys are the best. No way they're capable of something like this."

"Something like what?" a trooper asked from the main entrance of the barracks. The entire squad had arrived as called upon.

Slick turned back to Rex. "You called them here?"

"Of course we did," Bolt laughed dryly. "We're getting to the bottom of this. Now. So I can get some kriffing sleep."

Slick sighed. "Look, let me have a few minutes with them first. It's gonna hit 'em hard. They trust eachother, and if one of our own betrayed us-"

"I don't think that's necessary," Cody said, pushing past Slick to pace in front of his men. "Your men are tough, right? Take a seat, gentlemen. We have a turncoat in our midst, and we think it's one of you."

Bolt crossed his arms and leaned against one of the walls. "We just need your alibis. If one of them doesn't line up, obviously you're the traitor. Now hurry up with this, I need some shut eye."

"Relax, Sergeant Bolt. You're making the men uneasy. Now, what were you doing after the mission?" Rex asked, crossing his arms in front of the first trooper, a new shiny named Jester.

Jester looked nervous. "I-I don't know. I was doing the things I always do after a mission."

"Things like what?" Rex asked.

The trooper rubbed his hands together nervously. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm just a little nervous. You're my C.O."

"The way I see it, you tell the truth, you got nothing to be nervous about," Rex stated.

"Jester is telling the truth," Gus, a veteran, spoke up behind them. "He cleans his weapon after every mission. First thing, every time. He's kind of obsessed that way."

Bolt nodded silently to himself. He had great respect for those who took care of their weapons. Routines like that kept a man sane during war time, and there was no figuring how long this war would last.

Cody faced Jester again. "Is that right? You were cleaning your weapon? Go on the computer while you were in here?"

"No, sir. I didn't even power it up, you can check," Jester said confidently now, gesturing towards the console in the corner.

Cody looked to Rex and nodded. Bolt pushed himself off the wall and approached the men. "Hang on. Jester, show me your weapon."

When Jester handed it over, Bolt looked over every inch of it. He nodded with approval, handing it back to the new trooper. "Yup, freshly scrubbed."

"Rag's over there in the corner," Jester motioned with his head.

Cody nodded affirmingly. "Good man. You," he said, turning to Gus. "You were cleaning your weapon, too?"

"No, I was hungry. I went back to the mess."

"Right away?" Rex pressured.

"Oh, yeah."

"Anyone with ya?" Rex asked, now pacing in front of the men.

Gus lifted a hand, gesturing to the trooper next to him. "Sketch, sir."

"We got there at the same time, got our grub, and sat together," Sketch explained.

Rex stopped in front of Sketch. "Anyone else in the mess able to confirm what you two are saying?"

"Lots of guys there, ask any of 'em," Sketch stated, almost sounding offended.

Bolt chuckled. They didn't seem to get that they sounded more suspicious the more they feigned hurt. If they'd quit acting like new-borns, they'd have cleared their names entirely by now.

When Rex and Cody stopped in front of the next trooper, Slick, who'd been quiet until now, began to protest again. "Captain, give me just a moment with them."

Bolt narrowed his eyes, his fingers playing with the strap of his rifle. Slick seemed to be oddly insistent on trying to have a moment alone with his men. Shaking his head, Bolt sat down on a nearby crate, bringing his rifle around and setting it across his knees. He then began to act like he was idly inspecting his weapon, while still keeping a close eye on the proceedings.

The trooper dismissed the protests from Slick by himself, though. "No, it's okay, Sarge, I got nothing to hide. I was in the infirmary. Got banged up pretty good by one of those clankers. Medical droid was patching me up. Doc's got all the records there, if you wanna check."

Moving to the last trooper, Rex and Cody seemed to have lightened up a bit. "So, Chopper old boy, what's your alibi?"

"I was in the mess hall," Chopper replied lazily.

Immediately, Sketch shot to his feet. "No you weren't, you-I mean, you-"

"If you have something to say, kid, speak up, _now_," Bolt advised, emphasizing the importance of his words.

"Chopper came in a lot later, after everyone else," Sketch said.

Chopper looked worried, like he'd been cornered, which he had been. "Where were you before you went to the mess, Chopper?"

"Nowhere, walking around," he tried in vain.

Rex glanced at Cody. "You know we're gonna need a better answer than that."

"I was hiding," Chopper sighed. "At the South exit. I didn't want anyone to see me string these together."

Chopper produced a cord with three metal triangles looped through it. Bolt's eyebrows rose in realization. He knew that this was against protocol, and was forbidden, but he'd never heard of it ever actually occurring.

"Battle droid fingers," Cody spat with disgust.

"I-I just...I just wanted something back. I guess I felt like-like the owed me."

The trooper who was in the infirmary faced his squadmate. "I always knew there was something deficient about you."

Chopper swung his legs around to the other side of the bed, facing away from everyone else. Just then, Slick began approaching his subordinate. Bolt slid his hands along the cold metal of his rifle, having the odd feeling that he'd need to use it soon.

"This isn't good, Chopper," Slick began. "Lying about where you were, taking forbidden items from a battlefield. I put up with the attitude 'cause you have skill. But if you could break these rules, your whole character's in question here."

Chopper furrowed his brows in anger, standing to face his sergeant. "Wait, no. Hang on. I'm no spy!"

"Chopper, we're all brothers, but how can we trust anything you say now?" Slick asked regretfully.

"No, sir! I'm telling you, I did not-" Chopper protested to Rex and Cody.

Slick reached forward and placed a hand on the clone's shoulder. "It's okay. We'll get you a proper investigation. You don't have to say anything 'till the Jedy come back and talk to you."

Warnings fired in every cell of Bolt's brain. He rose to his feet, bringing his rifle up to his shoulder, aiming it towards the assembled men. No one had noticed yet, and that was good, as Chopper shook off Slick's hand.

"Maybe you should talk, sir," he accused, pointing a finger in Slick's face. "I was at the South exit, remember? I saw you go in, sir. I saw you. Everyone else turned right, toward the barracks and the mess. You turned left, toward the command center. Where were you going, sir?"

Bolt was set in his thoughts now, as he clicked the safety off on his rifle. "Sergeant Slick, what did you mean 'till the Jedi get back?'" Bolt asked.

All in assembly turned and faced him, the regular troopers diving out of the way when they spied his rifle. Rex and Cody immediately understood and faced Slick, their hands ready for a fight.

"I really wish you hadn't noticed that, sir," Slick growled, socking Cody in the face and knocking Rex out of the way with a shoulder charge before Bolt planted a round into his upper thigh. Slick yelled in pain, smacking the rifle away before kicking Bolt in the chest and retreating in a running limp from the barracks.

"It's Slick?!" Rex yelled in disbelief. "Slick's the traitor?!"

Bolt rose to a knee, grabbing his rifle and taking off in pursuit. "Go to the command center and protect the data files!" he yelled over his shoulder.

As soon as Bolt cleared the barracks, he knew the only way that had easy access to an exit would be the weapons depot, so he headed there, in hopes of catching Slick before he slipped out. He used his thermal vision setting in his macrobinoculars to scan the yard for heat signatures. He spotted one, moving rapidly away from the gunships, so he set off at a sprint.

When Bolt turned a corner, he saw Slick in the process of removing a ventilation shaft grate. He raised his rifle, leveled straight at the traitor's helmetless face. "Hands up, Slick."

Slick put his hands up on either side, slowly turning around as he did so. "Congratulations, you cornered me. But what are you gonna do about this?" he asked, shaking his left hand.

Bolt looked, and in it was a small, cylindrical device with a large, red button on top. A detonator. "Slick, don't do it. You set off any explosives, and you risk your brothers' lives. Think of them."

"I was thinking of them, don't you get it? We're all slaves to the Jedi. They're the biggest hypocrites in the galaxy. They preach about freedom and morality, yet they use us like slaves to fight their battles!"

Bolt shook his head. "No, you fool. We are equals to them. They don't ask anything of us that they would not do themselves. Or did you forget that they're behind enemy lines right now, likely facing battalions of droids alone?"

Slick scoffed. "A ruse. A trap set by them to gain our trust. I mean to be rid of them, and find my way in the galaxy, my brothers at my side!"

"You're deranged. You were born with a defect," Bolt accused.

Slick smirked evilly. "Would a deranged man do this?" he asked as he pressed the button. Bolt squeezed the trigger, dropping the traitorous sergeant to the deck with a bolt between the eyes just as a chain reaction of explosions were set off behind him. Turning around, he watched helplessly as the entire vehicle depot was destroyed. All of their gunships and walkers now reduced to piles of scrap metal.

Bolt slammed his fist against a wall. "Dammit!" he yelled in frustration. He trudged over to Slick's body, heaving it over his shoulder, and began the walk to the command center. He left Slick's deceased form in the care of the men working cleanup before heading inside.

When the doors slid open, Bolt walked in, pulling his rifle off, setting it against a nearby crate before leaning forward onto the holotable. Rex and Cody turned to face him from their vantage points in front of the viewport.

"What happened? Where did these explosions come from?" Cody demanded.

Bolt shook his head in disappointment. "Slick rigged the whole depot to blow. He detonated it before I could stop him. I dropped him with a round between the eyes if it makes you feel any better."

"That traitor deserved worse. How could he sell out his own brothers like that?" Rex asked.

Cody shrugged. "We'll never know. But we have a great deal to report to the Generals when they return, though." As if on queue, the doors slid open with a hiss, revealing two disheveled Jedi generals.

"Gentlemen," Obi-Wan began. "May I inquire as to the reason our weapons depot is on fire?"

"Sir, we found the traitor. It was Slick. He'd been communicating from the terminal in his barracks for weeks. Unfortunately, he escaped and wired the entire depot to blow. Sergeant Bolt shot him after he detonated the explosives," Cody explained.

Anakin nodded. "I see. So Slick was the traitor, huh? Go figure. Well, were you able to salvage anything from the depot?"

"Just the heavy cannons, sir," Rex informed regrettably.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Well, we'll need them. I hope you men are up for a fight, because there are about a thousand battle droids on their way here now. Sound the alarm, and mobilize the troops. We need to set up a barricade before they advance across our lines."

"Sir, yes, sir!" the three clone officers saluted.

"The fight goes on, gentlemen."


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS OR ANY ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS**

**The more astute of you have probably noticed that I am following the plot of the Clone Wars series in chronological order, at least until I get to my major changes. Which means you'll also know that the Clone wars movie is up next. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 6**

As the early morning dew settled on his plastoid armor, Bolt began to wonder if the enemy was ever going to show themselves. The fog on Christophsis was unusually thick for a planet with so little vegetation. Next to him, he felt Rex shift his position, and Bolt knew why. They'd been in defensive positions for the past two hours, waiting on the droids' arrival.

No sleep was had for the clones the past night. They'd had to clean up the destroyed weapons depot, then immediately get the heavy cannons moving to the front line to intercept the enemy. General Kenobi had said there were over a thousand battle droids, as well as tanks, and octuptarras on their way, so Bolt assumed that the sheer size of their army was hindering their speed.

Bolt ran a hand across his rifle, wiping away the excess moisture. These rifles were built to fire in any conditions, but he was taking no chances at a time like this. He also ran the back of his hand across his tinted, T-shaped visor, and when his vision was no longer impaired, he spied movement in the dense fog. He flipped his binoculars down in front of his eyes, trying to penetrate the thick soup. The dog-like faces of battle droids emerged from the white clouds, along with the pounding of their metal feet on the pavement. As time passed, more and more of the battle droids closed the gap, revealing the tanks staggering alone behind them.

Finally, Bolt zoomed out to accommodate the massive forms of the octuptarra tri-droids. The three-legged walking droids had a rotating head with three cannons on it, allowing for faster fire output. One shot could decimate an entire squad of clone troopers.

Bolt flipped his binoculars back up as the two Jedi Generals knelt down next to him. "Several battalions of battle droids and supers, a few dozen tanks, and three octuptarras," he reported.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard. "Tell the men to fire when in range. Set the heavy cannons to full power and take up defensive positions."

Rex nodded. "Aye, sir! You heard the General, let's move it!"

The heavy cannons folded their legs out, no longer hovering off the ground. Setting their sights, they aimed for the approaching droid army and let loose their first volley. The men cheered as the shots went overhead, exploding in the ranks of battle droids.

Bolt followed Rex to a raised barricade, setting his rifle barrel against it as he began to fire. He selected his targets carefully, trying to conserve ammunition since they no longer had any stockpiled. They had to make due with what they had until Admiral Yularen landed with their reinforcements.

As the space between the two sides filled with blue and red fire, it was clear that neither side had the advantage. Even with the heavy cannons behind them, the clones were having a hard time beating back the droids.

Suddenly, next to Bolt, General Skywalker landed, royal blue lightsaber still ignited in his right hand. "Bolt! Gather the demolitions squad and follow me, if we stop their tanks, they won't advance."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Bolt replied as he jumped to his feet and ran along the line of clones, collecting each member of the bomb squad along the way. He met Anakin back where he'd first given him his orders, and the Jedi led them along the back streets of Christophsis, where the droid army was too narrow-minded to go. They passed several apartment buildings, untouched by the battle due to their being out of the way.

Turning down a side alley, they glimpsed the legs of the octuptarra droids. Anakin dashed out and severed the metal appendages, causing the domed head to fall to the ground. He turned to deflect fire from the other two droids, directing Bolt and his men towards the rear of the enemy tanks.

When they reached the rearmost AAT's, Bolt ordered the squad to plant detonators on each tank, but stealthily. They didn't want to cause chaos to where they couldn't get out. Bolt turned and supported General Skywalker by targeting the eyes of the enormous octuptarra droids with his rifle. He knocked out a few of them, making it harder for the droid to see when it rotated its head.

Bolt was in awe of his Jedi general, though. The bolts he was deflecting were massive, and the wrong angle could have them exploding at his feet, killing him instantly. But he was true to his form, sending each red plasma bolt back to its sender, often with a penetrating explosion.

When the demolitions squad returned, Bolt pointed to the alleyway, sending his men to safety. "General Skywalker! We're ready to detonate, get out of there!"

The only sign that Anakin acknowledged what Bolt said was the fact that he slowly started backpedaling towards the alley. He batted aside one last laser bolt, destroying the head of the third octuptarra droid, and followed his men back into the alleys. They sheltered on the other side of a wall and Anakin nodded to Bolt.

Grinning beneath his helmet, Bolt pressed the detonator, and the resulting rumble was simply satisfying. He didn't get to step out and admire it for himself, however, as Anakin led the way back to the main lines. When Bolt saw Rex, he chuckled and high fived his brother, celebrating the fact that the droids had run off with their tail between their legs.

"That'll teach those clankers! Even when one of our own betrays us, they still can't take us in a straight fight," Rex remarked. Bolt couldn't help but agree with the man. They'd lost their air support, as well as their armour, and the droids couldn't break their lines. Sure, the heavy cannons were useful, but they couldn't win a war for you.

Obi-Wan approached with Cody. "Good job, Anakin. That flanking maneuver was brilliant."

"Thanks, Master. Though I couldn't have done it without Sergeant Bolt and the demolitions squad," Anakin admitted.

Bolt scoffed, shaking his head. "What are you talking about, sir? I saw you single-handedly drop three of those enormous droids. You could've taken that entire tank convoy if you wanted to!"

Anakin shrugged and gave a wry smile. "I suppose you're right, but if I take all the credit, you'll never get promoted."

"That's true enough, sir," Bolt relented.

Obi-Wan chuckled amusedly at the interactions between Anakin and his men. They were quickly becoming as close as brothers, even though he looked nothing like the clones. It probably had something to do with the fact that Anakin's, Rex's, and Bolt's personalities were fairly similar. Always on the offensive, wishing to out-think and overpower the enemy rather than patiently wait on the defensive like Obi-Wan himself. The recently promoted Jedi Master had been perfecting his Soresu technique, modeling his lightsaber form after his calm, reserved, and defensive mindset.

Anakin, on the other hand, was beginning to be a rather skilled practitioner of Djem So. The form was full of power and brutal counterstrikes after defensive moves. In essence, Anakin took hits and swung back, while Obi-Wan blocked all the hits in the first place, waiting patiently for his opportunity to strike. Obi-Wan had a feeling that they would quickly become masters of their respective techniques because of the numerous practice opportunities called battles.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Anakin, who had a hand on his shoulderplate. "Master? You in there? I asked what you think our next move should be?"

Obi-Wan flexed his shoulders before stroking his beard, a habit that had quickly become a staple of the Jedi Master. "Well, this victory seemed a little too easy for my taste. I say we send the shuttle back for supplies and wait for the Separatists' next move."

"Easy?" asked Anakin, stupified. "You call that easy? We wouldn't have broken their lines without our flanking maneuver."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, we just held off three battalions with minimal casualties. Yes, this was too easy. I'm sending the ship back. Tell the men to rest up, but stay on their toes."

* * *

"Long story short, seeing how exasperated Obi-Wan always was around me, I'll never have a padawan," Anakin declared proudly.

Bolt smirked. "But sir, isn't it your duty to train someone?"

"Yeah," Anakin nodded. "But duty never really held me down anyways."

"You know we can't really relate to that, right sir?" Rex asked.

Anakin chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The three men broke off their conversation and shot to their feet, donning helmets and equipment when they heard an explosion from up the highway. Anakin sprinted ahead, followed closely by Bolt and Rex.

Ahead of them, a second droid army, even larger than the first, was marching towards them. Anakin turned around and growled. "They're back!"

Obi-Wan trotted up behind them and looked at Anakin critically. "I told yu this victory was too easy. We never should have sent the ship back for supplies."

"It wasn't _my_ idea to send the ship back," Anakin returned.

Obi-Wan turned around, addressing the assembled clones. "Alright men, second wave incoming!"

Anakin turned to Rex and Bolt. "Rex, you and your squad follow me!"

"Cody! Battle positions!"

"Up to the front!"

Bolt darted after General Skywalker as fast as his legs could carry him, the small squad of the 501st forming behind him and Rex. They ran to the weapons cache and donned their jetpacks as per the plan before following Anakin again.

The sounds of blasters and cannonfire sounded from the streets as Bolt and the others jetted up to one of the tower roofs, overlooking the droid army. They stopped for a few seconds to observe the droids. Bolt concluded that the best way to help the others would be to take out the biggest guns, another trio of octuptarra droids.

"What's our plan of attack, sir?" Rex asked Anakin.

The Jedi turned and grinned confidently. "Follow me."

With that, he leapt off the side of the building, landing on top of the middle octuptarra. Bolt sighed in exasperation before shrugging and looking at Rex. "You heard him lads, let's go!"

The jetpacks activated, propelling the troopers forward. Bolt landed with a roll, bringing his rifle up and aiming for the eyes once again. He remembered not to stay in one spot for too long, though, as a shot narrowly missed his helmet.

He dove to the left to avoid a much more accurate shot, bringing up his rifle to knock out the eye of the droid. The sparks flew from the destroyed electronic device, as if they were the droid's blood. The other troopers were focusing on the head itself, hoping to reduce it to scrap metal by overwhelming volume of fire.

Up top, Anakin was deflecting bolts from the rearmost octuptarra, but he seemed to get tired of it, because he jumped down, balancing on the barrel of the laser cannons. He slashed at the head a few times, causing it to rotate, which in turn led the other shot astray and into the back of the droid that Anakin was standing on. When the head exploded and the droid began to fall, Anakin pushed off towards the lead octuptarra. He then resumed deflecting back at the third droid. In a few shots, combined with the fire of his clone troops, they'd brought it down.

Satisfied, Anakin simply dove off, severing a leg of the final one, causing it to lose its balance and topple to the ground. Obi-Wan met them at the crash site, having dealt with the advance troops. The clones formed a firing line with the Jedi in front, protecting them from incoming fire.

They hunkered down and waited for the heavy cannons to take care of the tanks, each shot piercing a gaping hole in its AAT. Bolt heard the two Jedi say something about reinforcements, but it was cut off due to the amount of blaster fire around them.

After several seconds of this, the tanks stopped. Then, the entire droid line turned around and fled once again. The men began to cheer, which only heightened in volume as the shuttle carrying their relief supplies soared overhead.

Bolt shouldered his rifle and clapped Rex on the back as they walked towards the temporary command center. Anakin stopped the two of them with a hand. "I need both of you in the lookout post. Rex, keep me informed, and Bolt, use that mind of yours to figure out our next move."

Bolt and Rex both saluted to their General, turning on heel and heading off at a jog to their forward lookout posts. They'd set up a system of relays run by clones, using hand signals as communications, seeing as their communications were down. The towers were about half a kilometer apart from eachother, within scope viewing range.

All seemed quiet for the first hour or so, eerily so. The droids had retreated with too many survivors, and Bolt had a hunch that they were planning something. Then again, so were the Jedi. After checking his post, Bolt parked his ass on a nearby bench, setting his rifle on the ground next to it, along with his helmet. He laid down on his back, closing his eyes to get some much needed rest. Just as he felt fatigue begin to take him over, the doors to the elevator slid open with a hiss. Bolt cracked his eyes to see his General with an unknown young female Togruta. He eyed the two of them curiously, sitting up to study them.

"What's the status, Rex?" Anakin inquired, arms crossed. He seemed in an unusually foul mood, considering the victory they'd won earlier that morning.

Rex turned to salute his commander. "All quiet for now, sir. They're gearing up for another assault. Who's the youngling?" he asked, eyes dropping to the orange-skinned girl.

She poked her head around Anakin, who was trying to shield her from view. "I'm Master Skywalker's padawan. The name's Ahsoka Tano."

Rex glanced over to Bolt, who's eyebrows were higher than a deathstick addict. The lightning-bolted trooper shrugged, holding his hands up on either side. Rex frowned and turned back to Anakin.

"Sir, I thought you said you'd never have a padawan?" Rex pried.

Anakin shook his head. "No, there's been a mixup, the youngling isn't with me."

"Stop calling me that!" Ahsoka demanded. "You're stuck with me, Skyguy."

Rex busted out laughing and turned to Bolt, who was practically rolling on the roof of the tower. The other men in the post joined in as their General turned the shade of a Tatooine sunset.

"What'd you just call me? Don't get snippy with me, little one! You know, I don't even think you're old enough to be a padawan."

Ahsoka shrugged. "Maybe I'm not. But Master Yoda thinks I am," she said with a confident smirk.

Anakin scoffed. "Well, you're not with Master Yoda now. So if you're ready, you'd better start proving it. Captain Rex and Sergeant Bolt will show you how a little respect can go a long way."

Rex blinked in confusion. "Uh...right. Come on, youngling."

Bolt sighed. He resigned himself to going without sleep for the foreseeable future and shouldered his rifle. He grabbed his helmet and held it at his hip, moving to follow Rex and the padawan. He stopped next to General Skywalker, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted," Anakin muttered.

"I wouldn't worry about having to teach, sir. From what you've told us about the Jedi Order, they could use some of your ideas. The easiest way to do that is to teach your own student, right?"

Anakin glanced at his loyal ARC, nodding slowly. "Perhaps. Now go on, straighten her out."

Bolt snapped to attention. "Will do, sir," he said, joining Rex and Ahsoka in the elevator.

* * *

Bolt rolled his eyes at the latest question from Ahsoka. She was proving to be too much for him to handle mentally. She was all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to learn about everything. She seemed to not understand that this was a war and any of them could die at any moment. They had more pressing concerns than to give a stuck up child a tour of the front lines.

"Have you thought about moving that line back, Captain? They'd have better cover that way," Ahsoka suggested, referring to the cannons.

Bolt shook his head in annoyance. "If we move them back, we reduce their firing range and narrow their line of sight. They are in the perfect position now. We don't need greenies making suggestions on strategy."

Rex shot Bolt a dirty look before smirking apologetically at Ahsoka. "General Skywalker thinks they're fine where they are."

Ahsoka paused for a moment. "So if you're a Captain, he's a Sergeant, but I'm a Jedi, does that mean that I technically outrank you?"

If there were anything in Bolt's mouth, he would've choked. Did this kid just ask if she outranked the leading commanders of the 501st Legion on her first day? Rex glanced at Bolt, knowing exactly what he was thinking before turning back to Ahsoka.

"In my book, experience outranks everything."

She smiled. "Well, if experience outranks everything, then I guess I better start getting some."

"Damn right," Bolt whirled around on him, stepping towards his face, though it was more like his chest, seeing how she was so short.

"What's your problem, Sergeant? You've felt nothing but hostility and anger towards me ever since you were ordered to 'show me respect.'" Ahsoka accused, using air quotes for the last bit.

"Really? You don't know?" Bolt scoffed.

"Sergeant," Rex began, placing a hand on his chest, trying to get him to back off.

Bolt slapped his hand away. "No, she needs to hear this. Kid, you don't seem to understand where we are. We're on a Separatist occupied planet, fighting a war for control. We've been through betrayal, explosions, firefights, you name it. And here you show up, acting entitled, more worried about trying to be cool and outranking the officers rather than listening to what they have to say about certain situations. We didn't just grow up already knowing things, we had to study our superiors, just like you should be doing now."

Ahsoka had backed off through the course of Bolt's rant. Her head dropped when he finished. Worried that he took it too far, Bolt attempted to apologize.

"Look, kid, I didn't mean-"

"You're right," she said quietly. "I'm not appreciating the knowledge you offer. Master Yoda always did say I had a lot of arrogance, but I'll try to work on it as long as you don't belittle me."

"That's fair," Bolt nodded, holding out his hand for her to shake.

She smiled and took it. "Deal."

They were ripped from their moment by the sound of a large power generator being activated. Bolt looked over his shoulder towards the Separatist base, and was horrified at what he saw. "Kriff."

"Not good," Rex agreed. "They've got an energy shield. That's gonna make things damn near impossible. If you wanted experience, little one, it looks like you're about to get plenty."

Ahsoka's eyes flashed with fear, which was quickly replaced by determination. Bolt tugged on his helmet and tapped into his comms. "Auto, Patchwork, report."

"_The droids started up a shield generator. It's expanding with their lead troops."_

"Understood. Pull back to the main command center with the other scouts and await further orders."

Bolt looked to Rex, who motioned for them to follow. The three of them raced off at a steady run. They arrived at the command center to what looked like a stage of panic amongst the troopers. They were scrambling back and forth like ants, carrying crates of ammunition towards the front barricades, preparing for combat. Others were loading the cannons, and other still, were standing around, in shock from the card the Separatists had just pulled.

Rex started barking orders while Bolt proceeded with Ahsoka to the holotable, joining Anakin and Obi-Wan. The holotable was already projecting the image of the battlefield, the new energy shield sticking out like a sore thumb. The two Jedi were staring at it grimly until Bolt and Ahsoka arrived. Rex joined them soon after, having sorted out the men.

"The shield generator is somewhere in this area. They're slowly increasing the diameter and keeping it just ahead of their troops," Obi-Wan explained, though Bolt already knew as much.

Rex shook his head. "Heavy cannons are gonna be useless against that."

Bolt leaned forward, placing his hands on the table. "Once they reach the city center, we could draw them into the buildings while leaving a rear squad to protect the cannons. But that'll only buy us time."

Ahsoka stepped forward. "Well if that shield's gonna be such a problem, why not just take it out?"

"Easier said than done," Rex stated.

"Well, I, for one," Anakin cleared his throat, "agree with her. Someone has to get to that shield generator and destroy it, that's the key."

Bolt stood upright, crossing his arms. "I volunteer, sir. Give me two good men and I'll have it down in an hour."

Anakin shook his head. "I can't ask you to do that, Bolt. It's nearly a suicide mission. I won't send my troopers into certain death without them knowing if I'll do the same for them. Well, here's your proof: I'm going alone. Once I take it out, get those cannons firing at full power."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "And what about her?"

Anakin's eyes traveled down to Ahsoka, who was looking up at him expectantly. "Uh, I don't kno-"

"Right then. Maybe you two can tiptoe through the enemy lines and solve this particular problem together," Obi-Wan teased, eliciting chuckled from Rex and Bolt, despite the grave situation.

Anakin sighed. "Fine, come on, Ahsoka. And grab a backpack with some charges."

Ahsoka scurried off after her tall master as Obi-Wan turned to Rex and Bolt. "Alright, that means we are to do exactly as you said, Sergeant. We need to buy as much time as possible to allow them to get that shield down."

"They won't have much," Bolt admitted. "They far outnumber us, so our ability to street fight is limited without our cannons. They'll march forward behind their tanks until they're right on top of our cannons, and they will blow them away."

"They do make quite a pari, sir," Rex said to Obi-wan. "Do you think they have a chance?"

"They better," Obi-Wan replied. "If they can't turn off that shield before it reaches the heavy cannons, there'll be no escape for any of us."

* * *

Bolt was just glad the droids didn't decide to get cheeky and flank them. They were so confident in their shield that they didn't bother. They stayed on the main highway, column after column of droids and tanks, tinted red from the energy. The surface of the shield itself would be disturbed avery now and then by the cannon fire, testing its capabilities.

"That shield is certainly putting a crimp in my day," Obi-Wan told them.

"It's no use," Rex said, now helmeted. "Even at full power, the cannon doesn't affect it."

Obi_Wan nodded. "It was worth a try. Sergeant Bolt, tell the men to fall back, we'll fight them on their turf, inside the shield."

Bolt jumped up on a pile of rubble and signaled the retreat, making sure every last trooper passed him before he joined them. Auto and Patchwork, his old buddies from Geonosis were bringing up the rear, quickly falling in behind their superior. Bolt gave them a serious look that they could feel through his visor.

"You two stay on my ass from here on out. You wanna be ARCs? This is how."

They nodded quickly and followed their sergeant, carbines in their hands. Bolt rejoined Rex and General Kenobi near the front barricades, just outside of the command center, in front of the main highway. He knelt down as the red energy passed over him slowly.

"We're inside the shield," Obi-Wan announced. "Just stay away from those tanks."

Bolt checked the cartridge on his rifle one last time, making absolutely sure he was ready for combat. Satisfied, he stood, resting it on the turquoise stone in front of him, letting off blast after blast into the ranks of droids. The AATs were further back, but when their shots came in, they shook the ground on impact.

Bolt slowly backpedaled while firing, retreating at the same pace the droids were advancing. At one point, he looked over his shoulder at Auto and Patchwork. "Follow me."

He sprinted towards the main tower and into the elevator. Pressing the button for the top floor, he waited impatiently for the doors to open. Once they did, he ran to the balcony, spying the ziplines that had been set up hours earlier.

He grabbed a handle and clipped it to one of the lines, looking back at the other two as he did. "I'll see you two on the ground."

Bolt pushed off, sliding down the steel cable at a breakneck pace, firing down at the droids all the while. He landed and flipped his rifle to full-auto, firing off a spread of lasers into the nearest clump of metal. He heard two pairs of boots land behind him and he smirked. These two were seeming more like ARCs by the day.

The three of them cut a large chunk out of the center of the droids' ranks, General Kenobi joining them at one point, his lightsaber cutting a deadly swathe through the droids, leaving nothing but molten metal in his wake.

Bolt didn't have time to be impressed, though, as the ranks of super battle droids had taken notice of the three of them. He ordered the other two to run for the command center as he tossed a droid popper to cover their escape. His boots pounded on the concrete as he sprinted to catch the other two. They made it just in time to prevent Rex from being shot in the back. Bolt snapped his rifle up and but a bolt into the droid's head, saving his captain.

"They're advancing too fast," Bolt panted. "Those two better get that shield down, or they'll be fighting for this planet by themselves."

Rex nodded. "Aye, but we still need to buy them time. Let's go."

He led the way into the back of the command center, firing off a few shots to save Obi-Wan from a gruesome death. "They overran our position, we had to pull out of there," he reported to the Jedi.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Move all of your men back to the heavy cannons. Do everything you can to protect them. I'll delay the droids. That is an order, Captain."

Rex was about to protest until Bolt dragged him away. "We need to do as he says. If he can delay the droids without worrying about us, that might give us more time."

Rex nodded. "Though if we fall back to the cannons, we have nowhere else to run."

Cody materialized next to them as they ran. "You boys alright? My unit got wiped out except for me, Waxer, and Boil."

"Define alright," Bolt joked dryly. "We're heading back to the cannons. We're strictly running defense and buying time."

Cody nodded. "Roger that. What's General Kenobi doing?"

"He's the one who gave us the orders. Said he'd delay the droids," Rex explained as they took cover behind the ridge that the heavy cannons were sitting.

Bolt leaned over, his rifle pointed down the highway. He flipped down his binoculars and began sniping as many droids as he could before they got too close. He dropped two with headshots before resorting to quicker shots.

At one point, the droids were so large in his scopes, that he was forced to flip them back up. He checked his remaining ammunition, shaking his head at the small amount.

"Make every shot count, boys! If you die with a full cartridge, I'll throw your bodies into a gundark nest!" Rex threatened, a roar of defiance echoing into the air in response.

Bolt's eyes grew wide as the ranks of droids marched directly up the slope and fired down on them at point blank range. He emptied his cartridge into their ranks before turning to run, Rex, Cody, Auto, and Patchwork hot on his heels.

They took cover behind their last line of defense, the barricades directly in front of the cannons, firing back at their pursuers. Lucky for them, the tanks weren't yet in range of the cannons.

A trooper approached Bolt and Rex, crouching low under the cover. "Sir, General Kenobi's been captured. There's no one else left," the trooper reported, leaning back against the barricade defeatedly.

Rex smacked him upside his helmet. "We've got to hold out! We can't let that shield reach the cannons. Keep fighting!"

Bolt growled in frustration. This wasn't exactly how he pictured himself going out, especially not this early in the war. His trigger finger began to cramp from usage as he fired on droid after droid. The clankers were simply too many. Just as his finger clicked on the trigger, revealing he was completely out of ammo, Bolt saw the shield start to dissipate.

He nodded to Rex and leaned back against the barricade, completely exhausted. Rex turned and yelled at the gunners. "ALL CANNONS! FIRE ON THOSE TANKS!"

The heavy cannons responded with thunderous uproars as their shots were launched into the droid ranks, destroying tanks and droids alike. The hulking metal machines literally split into pieces from the power of the shells.

Bolt laid back and passed out, the last thing he remembered being three Acclamators descending into the atmosphere.


End file.
